How the Story Ends
by morgielefays
Summary: What would have happened if Morgana hold told Arthur about her magic? What if it had been she that had convinced him that not all magic was to be ill-fated? An alternate 'what if' series centered around Arthur and Morgana's relationship. In this, they are not brother and sister. It also contains Dark!Merlin, the Battle of Camlann and Avalon as it should have been. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

Night had settled over Camelot, the tendrils of light gradually fading further and further away until all was darkness. Apart from in the chambers of the crowned Prince of the Kingdom, Arthur Pendragon. Normally, the young prince would be long asleep but tonight was different. Tonight, he was celebrating the New Year with the King's ward, Lady Morgana. She was his light, the moonlight in the darkness that came with his seemingly never-ending responsibilities. Being King once scared him but not anymore. Not now that he had her by his side. It was hard to believe that only a few weeks ago, he turned to see that stunning mystery walking towards him down the aisle. How could the Gods have graced him so to have her as his wife? Although the thoughts sent butterflies in that valiant heart of his, he couldn't help but chuckle. If somebody had told him only seven years ago that he was to marry her, he would have been dismayed. And now he could not imagine being beside any other.

"Come now, Morgana," he said as he dodged one final bit of bread that she had thrown at him. "I simply meant-..."

"Oh, I would not continue your sentence, Arthur Pendragon. Now take it back," Morgana snapped, her dangerous emerald eyes looking even more magnificent as her rage washed through her skin, reflected in the candlelight. She huffed and crossed her arms over her nightgown clad chest. The one thing that had not changed in their many years together was their ever-persistent bickering. She finally raised her gaze to his and quirked her signature brow. "Well? Have you nothing to say?"

Arthur had his lips pursed, his blue eyes dancing with his playful nature. "...I shall not take back that which is true, Lady Pendragon," he teased, leaning forward and craning his head towards her. "Besides, it is only **_one_** grey hair."

Morgana groaned in frustration and quickly stood, pulling away from his attempt at a kiss as she blew out the candle on her side of the bed and crawled beneath the sheets - her actions resembling that of a child having a tantrum. "Goodnight, Arthur," she spat, burying her face in the pillow.

Arthur stood, too, biting down hard on his knuckle to stop from guffawing at his bride. Gods, she was something else. As he watched her from the foot of the bed with her knees curled up to her chest and her ebony hair tumbling over her shoulder in beautiful waves, he couldn't help but smile. She truly was magnificent.

And her rage made her all the more appealing to him. He chuckled lowly to himself, shaking his head as he moved around the bed. He blew out his candle before he slipped underneath the sheets. "Morgana..." he whispered as he shifted closer towards her. He pressed a kiss to her collarbone, smirking into her skin when he saw goosebumps rise on her arm. "My darling wife..."

But she was still persistant and kept her face turned away from him, huffing in exasperation. He was such a pain; he knew just how to worm his way around her. What she hated more was the fact that she had to bury her face in the pillow to hide the smile on her face. "I said '_goodnight_', Pendragon," she mumbled but he heard the smile in her voice, mirroring it himself.

Knowing that he was now not truly in trouble, he leaned forward to brush the hair from her eyes, letting his roughened fingers smooth through the soft curls.

"Ow!" Morgana screeched as she felt the short, sharp pain in her head that signalled he had pulled one of the strands out. She sharply looked over her shoulder only to be met with his boyish grin.

"Got it," he said but any further teasing was cut off as with a _'that's it!_', he was thrown onto his back and Morgana was on top of him, hands thumping at his chest. She would never truly hurt him, not really, but he couldn't deny that when she grasped his ear between her slender fingers, maybe his theory was invalid. "Ow!"

"Do you submit, my champion?" she asked, her tongue shaping the words in such a way that always made Arthur's heart beat faster, flaring his hopeless attraction and love for her.

"Never, my lady," he smirked, raising his hand to catch her wrist with it and bringing it down to his lips. His eyes glinted as they flicked to meet hers and locked them effortlessly. Keeping them fixed on hers, he continued to pepper kisses on her skin, moving them further up her arm until he captured her lips with his.

Soon enough, she melted into him and wrapped her arms around him, their lips moving against one another in playful, wrestling movements.

But Arthur was caught in surprise when, as his hands moved to slip the strap of her night gown off her shoulders, Morgana stilled his hands, pulling back. In a daze from their kiss, his eyes slowly opened to meet hers and he frowned. "Wha-..."

"You honestly didn't think you would get let off that easily, did you?" Morgana asked, her lips pulled into a smirk as she rolled off of him. She quickly returned to his side, though, her body fitting beside his like a puzzle as she rested her head on his chest. "Oh, hush," she laughed as he whined, pouting down at her. "We must sleep or you will be in no fit state to hunt tomorrow."

As always, it seemed, she was right so Arthur gave in with a grumble as he buried his face in her sweet smelling hair. "Goodnight, Morgana."

However, the peace that had settled over the room did not last for long as Morgana's skin began to prickle with heat, beads of sweat lining her brow. Arthur knew the signs well; she was having a nightmare.

But he also knew not to wake her - not yet. Recently, they had become more violent, more frightening.

But they only ever focussed on one thing or rather one man; Emrys. She dreamt of him every night no matter what.

And as his name escaped her pale lips in a frightened whimper, Arthur's fears were confirmed. His hands moved to her hair, gently running his fingers through it. "It's alright, Morgana," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You're safe. It's just a dream."

_She did not register the pain at first. Rather, she noticed the irony taste suddenly flooding her mouth. _

_And yet the pain of the knife in her back was nothing compared to that of the pain that was cutting through her heart as she looked down at the man in her arms. Arthur was spluttering, blood pouring from his side and his eyes wide in both anguish and shock as he saw his wife, the light in his life, attacked. She followed his line of sight and gasped as she saw the looming figure behind her, his spindly fingers still curled around the hilt of the knife now embedded in her back. Tears poured from her eyes, leaving tracks down her cheeks but that only seemed to heighten the pleasure written across Emrys' features. _

_"Ho-...how coul-..." she sputtered but the old sorcerer merely pressed his finger to her lips. _

_"You can't escape your destiny, Morgana. Nor your doom. And I-...am both," he grinned through his wispy beard as he pulled the knife from her back, relishing in the cry that escaped her lips before he moved to bring it down on her once more; a surely fatal blow. _

_But she didn't focus on that. She focussed on the sound of Arthur's desperate roar of her name._

The scream that escaped her lips shattered Arthur's heart as he pulled the shaking Morgana back down to his chest, soothing her gently but firmly so she could hear him amidst her cries. "Morgana, Morgana, you're safe now. You're with me. It was a nightmare, my love," he whispered, his lips pressed to her burning forehead.

Morgana clutched him tightly, tears spilling down her cheeks as she shook violently. "H-he haunts me, Arthur," she whispered, her breath coming in short, sharp spurts. "He's coming to-...k-kill me. Every night, he tells me I can't es-...I can't escape him. I never will. No matter where I run or hide, he will always find me. Always, always..." she trailed off, her slim form lurching with sobs as he rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

Arthur's strong jaw was locked in determination. It killed him every night to see her like this. So terrified of a phantom that they had laid eyes upon in reality only once. He swore to her once that he would fight whatever powers fought to take her from him, that nothing ever would.

And he certainly would not let this-..._**Emrys**_ make him break his promise. "No," he said simply, his hand reaching down to tilt her chin up with his forefinger. "No, Morgana. You can escape from him and you will. I'll find him. And I'll never, **_ever_** let him hurt you."

Morgana's lips parted to protest; he was too dangerous, they didn't stand a chance.

And she was yet to tell him the part he played in her dream. "Ar-..."

But he merely raised a hand to stop her, shaking his head. "I won't let him," he said through gritted teeth. "Now, sleep. Tomorrow, it will be decreed."

As Arthur made his way to the banquet hall to dine with his father, he knew that he could not tell him about Morgana's dreams. They were visions of the future and therefore sorcery. Even though she was his ward-...he did not want to risk Morgana's safety even in the slightest. He cleared his throat to indicate to the guards to open the doors and stepped inside, greeting his father with a smile.

"Happy new year, father," he said as he took a seat opposite him. "Merlin," he nodded in acknowledgement as he saw his manservant and close friend opposite him.

Merlin inclined his head, decidely not saying anything but offering the prince a cheeky smile.

"Happy new year, Arthur," Uther replied with a smile as he ripped more bread from his plate. As he chewed, his wrinkled brow furrowed. "No Morgana this morning?"

Arthur shook his head solemnly, the night before still fresh in his mind as Merlin filled his goblet with a sweet tea. "She did not sleep well last night. I thought it best to leave her to catch up on her rest."

Uther nodded, raising his goblet to meet with Arthur's. "A wise choice, my son. You are good to your wife," he finished his sentence with a smile as he sipped from his goblet.

Arthur's gaze flitted down to his plate as his fingers nervously fiddled with the cured ham on there. "Actually, father, that is what I have been meaning to speak to you about..." he started, earning a look of alarm from the King. "Nothing-...nothing like that. We're good, we're amazing, actually. But-...I have heard rumours." The young prince was beginning to scold himself; why had he not thought this through more thoroughly? He was terrible at improvisation; whereas Morgana seemed-...unnervingly skilled at it.

"Go on," Uther urged, leaning forward in his seat with concerned interest.

"I have heard rumours that there are plots against Morgana's safety," Arthur continued, his fist clenched beneath the table. "And all rumours center around the name 'Emrys'." With that, he was broken from his thoughts as a clatter resounded all throughout the hall. His eyes darted to Merlin who had dropped the jug, staring at the pair with wide eyes and an even wider mouth. "Did you have too much to drink last night, Merlin, or are we just graced with your idiocy once more?" he snapped as Merlin hurriedly broke from his reverie and began to mop it up.

"S-sorry, sire."

Uther merely rolled his eyes at the clumsy oaf as he returned his attention to his son. "And how do you wish to sort this, Arthur?"

For a moment, Arthur was caught off guard. He had unwittingly come to his father for an answer; he normally had an answer to everything. "Well, I-..."

"I know," Uther said, nodding with a fond smile on his face. "I know that you think that I can solve everything but-...I am old, Arthur. It will not be long before you will be King. And you are a husband, now. It is time you start making decisions for yourself."

Arthur licked at his suddenly dry lips before nodding. "I understand, father." He paused for a moment, swallowing back the nerves building in his throat until he felt as if he was being throttled. "Issue a decree," he said, raising his head to emphasise his authority. "Five hundred gold pieces to whomever brings Emrys to me. I want him alive. I need to see him."

Uther's heart swelled with pride as he clapped his son on the shoulder. "It shall be done, Arthur."

The two of them were too busily wrapped up in their plans to notice a clammy-handed Merlin clutching at the wall as all breath seemed to escape his lungs.

Still shaking, Merlin made his way to Arthur and Morgana's chambers. His breath was shuddering; he was safe. He had to be. His destiny was to protect Arthur.

And he would not let it be foiled by Morgana's visions. Resting his forehead against the wood of the door, he took a deep breath before knocking. He waited for a moment before he heard a sleepy '_come in_' and he followed instruction, turning the doorknob and stepping inside.

His eyes searched until they found Morgana's form, notoriously waiting by the window, looking out at nothing at all. Her hand was rested on the edge of it, the crinkle in the middle of her brow showing that her mind was elsewhere. She turned to face him and offered him a genuine smile. Since she had returned to Camelot, they had become close friends. Or so she had thought.

"Merlin," she said, stepping forward to come closer to him. "Happy new year."

Normally, he would have paid attention to every word from the future queen's mouth but, the same as her, his mind was elsewhere. "What?" he asked, rather rudely before he blushed and looked to the floor. "Oh, right. Yeah, happy new year-...my lady," he quickly added, licking at his lips.

His manner unnerved Morgana and she stepped closer, her hand raising to rest on his upper arm. "Merlin, is everything alright? You're pale..." she said, her voice riddled with nothing but worry.

Merlin was never one to fully reveal his emotions, normally shrugging off any worries with some spun story about how he had slept poorly the night before or that he was coming down with a cold.

But today was different. Today, _**he** _was different.

"You can't let him, Morgana," he blurted sharply, his eyes raising to lock hers in an intense stare.

Morgana was taken aback by the tone of his voice and this showed as her hand fell from his shirt. "What do you mean?"

"You can't let him decree this-...manhunt on Emrys," Merlin muttered, his confidence waning as he saw the fury crossing over into the young woman's features.

She crossed her arms and dipped her head, fingers digging into her elbows. "And why not?" she snapped, each syllable hitting him like a knife.

He didn't even notice the tears that had filled his eyes until his vision began to blur but he blinked them away. He was being too obvious; he needed to relax and calm down.

"He is a sorcerer, Morgana. He is one of your kind," he said, lowering his gaze to escape hers. "I know you wish for Camelot and those with magic to align and you will not do that if you encourage their slaughter. You cannot condone the murder of your own kind."

Morgana's lips twitched as she listened to him, eyes darting over his face. Something was wrong. She didn't know what it was but-...it was something. He was holding something back from her.

"Would he do the same?" she objected, eyebrow quirking. "No. He wouldn't. I have seen it, Merlin, he has no qualms in killing his own kind. Every night, he-..._**smiles**_ as he kills me." Her voice cracked but she lifted her chin to remain firm.

"So that means that he deserves to die?" Merlin snapped, his voice raising above his station. "Because you _**dreamt **_that he killed you?" His fists were clenched at his side, the urge to use magic against her - to silence that ever babbling, unknowing mouth - bubbling through his veins.

"What has happened to you, Merlin?" Morgana shouted, her hands shooting out to the side. "Why are you standing up for him? I am your friend and I am soon to be your Queen, you cannot wish for me to-..."

But then something stopped her. She knew him better than this. He would not fight for something that was wrong unless-...unless he held it close to his heart. Her hands slowly lowered to her side as she felt her heartbeat quicken, her throat closing up. "You know who he is," she stated, nothing of a question in her tone.

Would that be better? Would he be in less trouble if he said that Emrys was his friend? His family? He knew that matters of the heart always played with Morgana's heart strings. Perhaps-...perhaps he could persuade her. Or at least deter her long enough for him to think of another plan.

"Yes," he whispered, his voice gravelly with the painful throbbing in his throat that felt as if there was broken glass scraping the edge of it.

A whimper was released from her lips as she stood back, gripping the chair to stable herself. How could he do this to her? He was her friend-...wasn't he? He knew how terrified she was of Emrys and yet he-...he _**knew**_ him? A single tear flitted down her face but she quickly pushed it away, keeping her gaze fixed to the floor. Silence filled the chambers with nothing but their breaths echoing between the stone walls.

"Tell me," she whispered finally, her broken eyes meeting his.

"I-..." Merlin started, the words startling him.

"Tell me!" Morgana screamed suddenly, desperation flooding and cracking her voice as she raised her hand, her eyes glowing golden. With that, Merlin was thrown back against the door, slumping to the floor with a pained groan. For a moment, she regretted it but her mind was focussed on what her friend knew. She stormed towards him, kneeling by his side, her hand fisting around his neckerchief. "Tell me, Merlin, or I swear I'l-..."

"It's me," he whimpered, his head throbbing. He hadn't expected her to do that and was not prepared with a counterattack or at least something to soften the blow. "I'm Emrys." He didn't even bother to hide the cracking of his voice nor the tears that now made their way down his cheeks.

Her heart shuddered violently, her grip loosening immediately. She knew Merlin, she knew him better than most but worst of all; she knew that he wasn't lying. All the strength seemed to fall away from her as her knees buckled and she fell back onto the floor, her hands only just holding her up.

"I swear to you, Morgana, everything I have done, I've done for you and Arthur," he said, his tongue fumbling over the words. "For the good of Camelot and of Albion. I would never-...I would never hurt Arthur." He knew that he could not say that he wouldn't hurt Morgana. For he had and she knew it. Well, part of it.

But Arthur was his friend, his master, his destiny. He would let no harm come to him, not ever.

"You must believe me," he implored, starting to pull himself up.

"Guards," Morgana whispered, a blank look on her face as she avoided his gaze.

"Morgana-..."

"Guards!" she screamed, hand thumping down on the floor as the sound seemed to source from her very soul.

The guards quickly ran in and grabbed Merlin by his arms, frowning down at Morgana for her next instructions. Keeping her eyes to the floor, she hissed, "Take Emrys to the dungeons."

"Morgana, please!" Merlin shouted as he began to struggle but to no avail. The guards were strong and he was still stunned from Morgana's attack. His knees buckled; she knew. Gods, she knew about his magic. Not only that, she knew he was Emrys.

And that meant-...That meant that Arthur would soon know, too.

As if hearing his thoughts, he saw the familiar strong frame headed towards them, his brow curled in a frown. "What is the meaning of this?" he snapped, his eyes looking to Merlin's for answers.

"Si-..." Merlin started but he was cut off as the guard's gloved hand collided with his cheek.

"Don't speak, Emrys."

The name sent a dagger to Arthur's heart. "E-Emrys, wh-what?" he stuttered but then another wave of dread crossed over him. He saw the defeat and acceptance in Merlin's eyes. This wasn't a lie; he was Emrys. Everything else seemed irrelevant, an unknown emotion coursing through the prince's veins as his jaw locked. He didn't know whether he wanted to cry or to pull his sword from its sheath and bury it into Merlin's chest. How could he? How _**dare**_ he? "Take him away," he said, his voice choked.

"No..." Merlin started as the guards once again began to drag him away. "Arthur, please!" he screamed but it fell on deaf ears.

Arthur's attention was now taken up solely on the only person he had left that he truly trusted. "Morgana..." he whispered, her name falling from his lips effortlessly as he broke into a run towards their chambers. He skidded to a stop when he reached them, his hand resting on the doorframe as he found a sight that broke his heart. Morgana was on the floor, tears falling silently from her eyes onto the stone floor as her hand held her up, legs curled to her side. He, too, remained silent for no words could or would ever amount to the pain she was feeling. He lowered himself down to her side and wrapped his strong arms around her, keeping her safe like a tower, encasing her shaking form entirely. She barely seemed to register he was there until she turned to curl into his chest, hands gripping his tunic as finally, she sobbed. Neither of them knew how long they stayed there but neither cared. Silently, they declared to each other that they would only ever trust the other.

The two of them; the champion and his lady.

That was all that mattered.


	2. Chapter 2

_+Hey guys, thank you for all your reviews and the people who have read it and followed it and all that palava. It means a lot and really inspires me to write more! But I think there's something I need to clear up; that first chapter is kinda a prologue I guess. The next few chapters are gonna be hopping back and forth in between those times; mainly focussing on the development of Arthur and Morgana's relationship to how they got to the day when they find out who Merlin really is. I'm definitely gonna be focussing on Dark!Merlin a lot, too, he seems to have gotten a good response. But I'm gonna try and do it subtley at first and well..yeah, you guys will see what happens then. This one's only a short one cos I wanted to set the scene. The next few chapters will be in the past. Here goes, keep reviewing please!+_

Eventually, the aching in her heart had tired Morgana out to the point of exhaustion. Neither of the pair knew how long they had waited there, sat on the floor and enveloped in one another. It was a familiar feeling; this betrayal. It seemed that whoever the two of them loved soon enough turned against them or were keeping something from them.

But Merlin-...they never thought it would be_** Merlin**_. He had been with them through thick and thin. He was their closest friend; the one person they could truly trust. Even that had been ripped away from them. _**He**_ had been ripped away from them. The idiotically brave and loyal servant, he was long gone if he was even there at all. It wasn't even as if the pain ended there for it instead lodged inside of them, blossoming with questions that shook them to the very core. What more had he lied to them about? Could they really trust him as much as they once thought? Had everything been a lie?

When he eventually felt Morgana's body still and her sobs began to quieten, Arthur pulled away to look at her. He hoped and prayed that that light in her eyes, the one that shone so bright for him would not go out. That it would remain strong. But there was nothing as he looked at her. He was only met with blank eyes. A lump began to rise in his throat but he quickly swallowed it away. He had to be brave for her. He had not even begun to process what his feelings were about Merlin's-...what even was it?

Was it betrayal?

He couldn't even decide that. He cleared his throat before taking her pale hands in his and pulling her to her feet. Yet, she still did not speak. She simply stared forward as he lead her over to their bed, pulling the covers up for her to slide under but she barely made herself comfortable. Almost as if she was planning on not staying there.

"Morgana..." he started gently, slipping in beside her.

But what could he say?

He couldn't tell her it would be alright because it wasn't a promise he could keep. She was hurting and he was, too. Perhaps her name was all he really could say. For every time it uttered from his lips, it was caressed by the tones of his voice, his heart wrapping around the words fully. But then something happened that he certainly did not expect.

Something of a feral, animalistic growl escaped Morgana's lips, building from her chest as she pushed him to one side and with a ferocity that surrounded her like an aura, she ran from the room.

"Morgana!" Arthur shouted after her, quickly stumbling after her but she was fast. Faster than he was with her slim form and graceful legs that carried her ahead of him. "Please!" he called once more, slowing to a stop and releasing a sigh of relief as he saw her do the same. She was self-destructive, she always had been. Acting in moments of anger, of rage that stemmed from her soul. She would either get hurt or do something she would regret and he couldn't let that happen to her. His hand had subconsciously risen to reach out for her and as she turned around, he let it fall to his side once more.

Tears were once again streaming down her flushed cheeks as she looked at him. The worry and concern in his voice broke her heart but she had to know. She had to speak to Merlin herself. She had to find out just what-...what all of this was about. Yet, here was Arthur; the one man who had not let her down. The one man who she trusted with everything that she had. She knew as well as he that he would do anything to keep her safe and that was exactly what he was doing now. He knew her better than anyone. He knew what she was going to do and precisely where she was going. He had stilled her hand once before before it acted out rashly and once again, they were in the same situation. She thought she was better than this; she thought she had changed. _**He**_ had changed her. But now-...perhaps not.

"Please..." he spoke once more, quietly.

The word effortlessly reached her ears as they flowed down the corridor, moving straight to her heart. It thudded violently against her chest, so violently she feared that Arthur would be able to hear it. It took over, taking control of her body and its movements rather than her brain as she started to move back towards him.

She bit down hard on her lip as she watched the relief wash over him and when she reached him, she cupped his cheek. "I'm sorry, Arthur," she whispered, running her thumb across his cheekbones.

"'Sorry'? What do yo-..." He was cut off, however, as he saw her normally emerald eyes pooling with gold as she whispered a spell beneath her breath. His sight started to blur, his knees felt weak as they began to buckle. "M-Morgana," he stuttered as he gripped her shoulders for support but she simply shushed him, lowering him to the floor.

"I have to do this alone, my love," she said softly but firmly so he knew there was no chance of her going back on her plan. She carefully rested her head in her lap, smoothing his hair from his forehead. "I just have to know why he would do this and I cannot do that with you by my side. Merlin wouldn't speak. He cares for you too much to hurt you and-...I have a feeling that he has plenty to say."

Finally, his eyes closed and she leant down to press a kiss to his forehead. Cupping her hand around the back of his head, she lowered him carefully from her lap to the floor. The spell wouldn't keep him out for long but it would be long enough for her to speak to Merlin. With that thought, a fierce determination set within her as she stood from the floor, brushing the dust from her dress. She closed her eyes for a moment before turning back towards the dungeons and taking in a deep breath before setting off once more.

* * *

How could you have been so stupid? Merlin chastised himself in his thoughts as he sat curled up in the corner of the cell, surrounded only by hay, stale bread and grime. He should have listened to Kilgaharrah, he should have killed Morgana when he had the chance. That heart of his - that stupidly forgiving heart-...the Great Dragon had said himself that it would be the death of him; that it would be his undoing.

And he was right.

Merlin cried out in frustration, his fist punching against the wall and bloodying his hands in the process but he paid it no attention. He had lost. He had_** failed**_. All of his hard work for his destiny, all of the blood on his hands, all of the pain and heartache he had gone through-...it was all for naught.

Or perhaps not as suddenly, a sound came from down the passageway; the pained gasp of a guard. Someone was here for him; he was the only prisoner in this section of the dungeons. His heart tremored with worry, however.

Who was it? Gaius? He would be the only one who would still trust him, who would still not let him down or foresake him. But he shouldn't-...it was too dangerous, far too dangerous.

"Gaius?" he whispered hoarsely, scrambling up to grip the bars tightly in his pale fingers. "Is that you?" Silence was the only sound that greeted him, meeting with the darkness of the jail to converge in a symphony that sent shivers down his spine.

He was about to call again when he heard a cold, emotionless voice. "Three years ago, I told you I had magic..."

"Morgana?" Merlin asked, not even attempting to hide the crack in his voice. Admitting fear was not a weakness, it merely proved that he was human. And Gods, was he scared of Morgana and her temper. He knew what she was like, how rash she could prove to be. And now he was on the receiving end of that fury. His eyes searched desperately for her form but found nothing, her words seeming to bounce off the walls as they swam into his ear, not giving away any clues as to where she was.

"And you told me there was nothing you could do, nor say," her voice continued, stemming from various different areas in the dungeons. "You left me alone to deal with this. You made me think I was a monster."

Her words were dripping with venom and he could picture the the snarl writing itself across those porcelain features of her.

"Alone, Morgana?" Merlin asked, his confidence building as he chuckled darkly to himself. "You had Arthur. You've always had Arthur."

Morgana's laugh mirrored his as it echoed through the dungeon, reaching a loud crescendo until it almost hurt for Merlin to hear it. "You almost sound **_jealous_**, Merlin."

"Of you?" Merlin rested against the bars of the cell, shaking his head with a smirk on his face. He was certain she could see him and he didn't want to seem easily throne. She was, after all, only the King's ward. He was to be the greatest sorcerer of all time. That was his destiny. "A woman who is too afraid to face little old me?"

With that, all was silent until suddenly in a whisp of fog, Morgana appeared directly before him. "Hello, Emrys," she spat, raising her chin as she looked at him.

The movement was so quick that Merlin couldn't hide the way he violently jerked back from the door. "Morgana," he stated, ever chivalrously inclining his head at her. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

It took everything that Morgana had within her to not reach through and grab him by the throat as he looked at her with indifference and-...arrogance.

How dare he? They were friends. Or at least she thought they were. And he had hurt her. And Arthur. Yet he stood there, smirking.

She clenched her jaw as she felt tears well in her eyes once more, causing them to burn. "I want to know why," she whispered, all attempts at a haughty nature diminshing as once again, she showed her heart, wearing it on her embroidered sleeve.

"Why what?" Merlin asked, rolling his eyes but she smashed her hand against the edge of the cell.

"Why you lied to us," she hissed, her eyes meeting his and locking them furiously.

Merlin licked at his lips, swallowing back a dry throat. "You want to know, Morgana? Then I'll tell you. But the story does not begin now. It in fact begins three years ago. When you came into my chambers and told me you had magic." With that, he stepped back to sit down, his legs crossed, taking the pose of a storyteller.

Morgana followed suite somewhat cautiously, curling her legs to the side of her as he began to tell his tale.


	3. Chapter 3

_+Guys, you are killing me. Thank you for being so kind and encouraging, it's really sparking my muses. From now on, unless stated, it's going to be in the past to show the development of Arthur & Morgana's relationship and also why Merlin is like he is. It's getting a bit more plotty now so the pieces may be longer but I'm hoping they'll be worth it. Keep reviewing, please.+_

"I need to hear someone say it so I don't have to feel like I'm imagining it," Morgana pleaded her friend, her eyes drooping from the exhausting events of the day. She had always suffered from nightmares, ever since she was a young girl. But nothing had ever happened quite like this.

The night before, she had been plagued by nightmares once more; the same thing every night. An old man standing over her as she cradled someone in her lap. But she couldn't see either of their faces. All she felt was dread and then pain. Mind numbing agony that twisted both her heart and her flesh. She shot up just as lightning struck, sending a wave of fear through her. Storms always reminded her of the night that she lost her father. She had stood outside in the rain waiting for him to come home only to find that he never would. Normally in a storm, she would go and fetch Arthur and he would stay with her throughout the night. He was always so-...kind, so caring. As much as it enchanted her, it also scared the wits out of her.

Why would he do something like that for someone like her? A man like him needed all the sleep he could get what with the training and the meetings. And yet, every night there was a storm, he came.

Her breath was scarcely making its way out of her lips as she looked to the window, a lump of fear throbbing in her throat. Her eyes flitted over to the candle by the curtains and she gasped. That wasn't-...that wasn't alight before. She started to panic, her head spinning as she tried to calm herself down but to no avail. Something started to course through her veins, something-...powerful and otherworldly. For a moment, her vision blurred as a wave of power flowed out of her very form. She didn't have any time at all to question what it was as the candle's flame suddenly heightened, crackling loudly and catching the drapes alight. The fabric immediately began to spread with flames, elliciting a scream from the young ward.

Needless to say, Arthur was in her chambers in moments, Uther following shortly afterwards. As the Prince comforted her, the King began to rant and rave about how it was a conspiracy, the work of sorcery but Morgana knew better.

It was her.

She had tried desperately to convince Gaius but he had pushed it aside, claiming that she was in shock. That she wasn't thinking things through clearly when in fact she was thinking clearer than ever before. She knew it was magic. She had felt it.

And this was hardly the first time that something-...supernatural had happened around her.

What about every time that she had dreamt something and it had come true? Was that, too, a consequence of shock?

No. It was her reality; she had magic. She didn't know how and she didn't know why. All she knew was fact. For a moment, she had thought about telling Arthur. But he would have laughed it off, surely. He would have said that she was overreacting, as always. But perhaps-...

Merlin.

He had always been there for her, helped her through everything. But most of all, he had believed her. When she had told him of her fears for Arthur's safety, he had followed through in checking them and keeping him safe. So that was why she soon found herself in his chambers, having just desperately told him about her ordeal. There was something in his eyes that told her that he believed her. That maybe he had had these worries for a long while just as she had.

Merlin, too, knew that to be true. His eyes searched hers, seeing the desperation and hope mixed within them.

How could he let her down? Perhaps Gaius was wrong-...perhaps the Dragon was wrong, too.

How could the young, frightened woman in front of him be of any risk? She had been nothing but kind and courteous to Merlin, treating him not like a slave but as a friend. He could tell her anything and the fact that she was in his chambers now proved that she felt the same. And-...she was of his kind. Surely she would not cast him aside, much less betray him. He could tell her. Gods, he could tell her and finally have someone other than Gaius know of his secret. Have someone help him to keep it. Possibilities began to ramble through his head; he would have a friend. A true friend that he would be able to be himself around. But something was holding him back. Or rather, multiple things. Morgana's temper was as notorious as the Pendragons'.

What if he was to upset her somehow? She was closer to Arthur than he was - however much he secretly hated it - and she could divulge his secret at any moment. He could still hear Gaius' words in his ear and the Dragon's, too.

_She cannot be trusted. _

_I mean it, Merlin, stay out of it._

So many things were telling him that he should help her but then again, the negatives were close to outweighing the positives. With a lump in his throat and noticeable tears glistening in his eyes, he choked out, "I really wish there was something I could say."

_But there is, you idiot! Tell her you know exactly what she's going through. Tell her you've been through it, too. Tell her you know what it's like to feel like an outsider!_ he scolded himself as he saw the hurt burning in her eyes.

She was so scared and for once, she did not even try to hide it. Not taking her eyes off of him, she slowly stepped back and ran from the room, barely hearing her name being called from behind her.

* * *

Tears poured down her face as she ran, dressed in naught but her white nightgown, the empty silence of the halls only emphasising how alone she was. Merlin was her last resort, he was the last person she could turn to. Apart from, of course-...

She grunted as she ran straight into someone and with fisted hands, she began to thump against the stranger's chest. "Get off of me, leave me alone!" she shrieked, sobbing but she merely felt the now-familiar arms wrap around her, holding her tight to his chest. Exhausted from running and crying, she slackened against him, letting her weight rest entirely on Arthur. "Leave me-..." she whimpered, her hand thumping half-heartedly against his chest only to be caught in his strong one.

"Morgana, what is it?" he asked softly, his voice wrapping around her like a blanket, making her instantly feel safe as it seemed only he knew how to do. "What's wrong? What's happened?" His hand carefully smoothed down her hair, his chin rested on top of her head as he quietly soothed her.

For a moment, everything almost seemed to fade away. She let out a ragged sigh and focussed purely on his arms around her, encasing her. She couldn't help but feel somewhat confused though. It was known that Arthur Pendragon was not a patient man and yet, here he was. Simply waiting for her to finish crying.

But the tears kept spilling down her face and onto his tunic. It only flared his worry for her even further and he finally pulled back, holding her upper arms in his hands as he dipped his head to look into her reddened eyes. "What's the matter, Morgana?" he asked, the fragments of his voice caressing her as did the pads of his fingers.

She wanted to tell him, she wanted to tell him everything.

But what would be the point? He would either laugh or shirk her aside or perhaps even tell his father and-...Gods, she would lose her head. She whimpered, shaking her head vehemently as she pushed against him. "No...L-let me go." Surely experience should have taught her by now that she could trust nobody but herself. Soon enough, everyone betrayed her. Soon enough, everybody left her. And yet there was something in her head and heart that was telling her '_not Arthur_'.

But she was not listening to either of them now as she pushed past him, continuing her run but he gripped her wrist and held fast.

"Morgana, please. I just want to help and I cannot do that without you telling me what the problem is," he said, his voice still gentle but firm. He knew her better than anybody and he knew that something was wrong.

Morgana snarled, pulling her hand from his grasp as she quickly turned on her heel and stomped away from him. "Nothing, Arthur. Can you not leave your big nose out of one thing in this wretched castle?" she shouted as she made her way back towards her chambers but he was hot on her heels.

He quickly ran ahead of her and pressed his hands against the frame of her closed door. "No. No, I can't. Not when you're acting this way. Not when you're so-...upset. I'm worried, Morgana, is that so much of a crime?"

"Get out of my way, Arthur," she said coldly, not meeting his gaze.

Arthur rolled his eyes, that notorious impatience of his finally showing through. "No," he snapped. "Something's wrong and if you weren't so damn stubborn, you would tell me! Why do you have to make things so difficult for yourself? I just want to hel-..."

"I don't need your help!" Morgana screamed.

Arthur was entirely frozen to the spot as he saw those emerald eyes that he had looked into so many times glint golden. Before he had time to even register it, he was thrown back through Morgana's chamber doors, crashing through it as he was thrown into the air. He seemed to be in the air for ages but it was mere nanoseconds before his head cracked against the floor, rendering him motionless.

Morgana stared at him, her mouth agape as she looked down at her hands. How had that even-...

"Arthur!" she screamed as she ran towards him, pulling his head into her lap. "I'm so-...so sorry," she whispered, looking at the blood that was appearing on his forehead from the cut there. Her hands were shaking as they ghosted over his forehead, disbelieving that she-...that she had done this to him. She had hurt Arthur. And not only that, she had hurt him with _**magic**_. She thought that maybe for a moment, he would be unconscious; that he wouldn't have noticed or with the hit he would have forgotten. But as she looked into those eyes of his, she saw the hurt pooling in them.

His Morgana-...how could she do this to him? How could she be a sorceress? It didn't make sense. Perhaps he was dreaming; this was all some horrid nightmare. But the pain radiating his skull felt very earth-shatteringly real, indeed. He swallowed back a choked sob as he pushed away from her, unable to meet her gaze.

She wasn't who he had thought; how could she have kept this from him?

"Ge-...get off," he mumbled, breathing out of his nose as he was afraid that if he parted his lips he would either kiss her for being so stupid and keeping this from him or he would cry and scream at the cruelty of this world.

Quickly lifting her hands off of him, she crawled back but didn't stray far from him. He was hurt, he was confused. But he was also still her champion. And she wouldn't let him go through this alone. Curiously, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. He had not immediately called for the guards.

Which was good, wasn't it? At least-...at least she would have the opportunity to talk to him.

* * *

Hours passed, it seemed, as the pair looked out of the window of Morgana's chambers to see the sun rising. "Morning," Morgana stated, her head resting on the edge of her vanity table.

Arthur had moved from his position and was now sat up against her bed, his eyes fixed firmly to the floor. His jaw was clenched and his forehead was bloodied but it had stopped producing fresh blood. He was chewing on his knuckle, a small trait of his that seemed to have stayed with him since he was a young boy, showing that he was in deep thought. For the first time in a long while, he raised his gaze from the floor to look at the window, squinting them slightly at it burned his eyes. He allowed himself to smile for a moment before it faltered. He closed his eyes, resting his head back against the foot of the bed. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, his voice gravelled.

It was the moment that Morgana had been both longing for and fearing. She wetted her lips before pushing herself up from the floor, her heart falling as she saw him flinch slightly. He was scared of her. And rightly so, she supposed; she had attacked him only hours before.

"I-...I have only truly just found out myself, Arthur," she said softly, her once again trembling hand rested on the top of the chair as she tried desperately to catch his eyes. When he didn't comment, she continued, "The nightmares have been getting worse, that you know but-...these things, these occurences that have been happening. My chambers catching alight, the smashed glass on my floor...it was me. It was my-...my magic."

Arthur's gaze finally met hers with those words, his chin tilting upwards to look at her properly. "The fire was you?" he asked, his words sounding like an accusation.

"Well, I hardly planned on it, Arthur," she retorted but she regretted the sharpness of her tone. She was the one who had lied to him, not the other way around. Well, not lying so much as conveniently straying away from the truth.

However, he did not seem to be in the forgiving mood as he quickly stood up and stormed up to her, gripping her upper arms in his hands furiously. "Don't play games, Morgana," he hissed, their noses nearly touching. "I was-...I was worried sick. I thought somebody was out to kill you. I-..." He stilled himself for a moment, his eyes closing once more as he took in a breath to calm himself down. "You know me better than anyone, as I know you," he said quietly, his eyes still remaining close. "Or at least I thought I did. And yet you could not trust me with this. How long have you known?"

Tears were beginning to burn in Morgana's eyes as she bit her lip against his strong grip. She knew that he would never willingly hurt her - but she assumed that was before she told him something such as this - but she knew that his fingerprints would easily leave a bruise.

"A-...a few months. I mean, that is how long the noticeable magic has been going on. But the nightmares-...I believe them to be magic, too. You knew that quite well, Arthur. That day I warned you not to go; not to fight that monster. And yet you did and you returned-..." She paused, closing her eyes, too, as she remembered that haunting image of Uther holding Arthur's limp body in his arms as he walked him through the courtyard. She would never escape that picture, that nightmare. The day she almost lost him.

A lump rose in Arthur's throat as he thought back. Gods, she was right. She _**had**_ warned him. She had seemed-...crazed, hysterical. He had simply shrugged it off, blaming it on lack of sleep. But it wasn't; it was a vision. She had dreamed of his demise. The thought, somewhat annoyingly, sent a flutter through his heart. From what he knew of magic, a majority of it was based off of the conjurer's emotions. So surely dreaming about him in such a way-...she must have cared for him. A lot. He cleared his throat and shook his head, finally opening his eyes. He couldn't comment. He just-...didn't know what to say.

What words could amount? None. She had always been able to read him and his emotions, however, so he knew that it would not be much of a problem. "Where were you coming from?" he asked, loosening his grip on her, a glimmer of guilt showing in his eyes as he already saw the red marks from his fingers. "When I found you. Where had you been?"

He had not shouted at her yet. Surely that was a good sign. She, too, cleared her throat. "Merlin's chambers. I-...I needed to get a draught from Gaius. I thought perhaps it would help the nightmares be eased somewhat." When she was met with his glare, she knew that story would not pass. Like he said, they knew each other too well to lie to each other. "I went to speak to Merlin."

Arthur rolled his eyes, stepping back from her as he turned his back on her. "I might've known that dollophead would be involved." He peered over his shoulder at her, his eyes glazing over her form. "So, what? Are you two in love or something?" he snapped, his voice bitter and dripping with annoyance.

Morgana was taken aback and mimicking the Prince's normal phrase, she said incredulously, "_**Mer**_lin? You think that I am in love with _**Merlin**_?"

Arthur threw his hands in the air, turning back on her full force as he muttered irritably at her nature. "Well, what else am I _**supposed**_ to think, Morgana? You learn a big secret like this about yourself and the first thing you do is go and tell my manservant!" he snapped, letting the jealousy in his voice seep through.

And despite the situation, Morgana couldn't help but laugh. The sound felt almost foreign to her after the pain and despair of the past few days but nonetheless, she laughed and did not stop even when he glared at her.

"Well, I'm glad you find this all very amusing, Morgana," he muttered, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall.

"Arthur, there is nothing going on between Merlin and I," she said softly, shaking her head fondly.

Despite himself, his eyes lit up. "Really?" he asked, a smile beginning to cross over his face but he quickly attempted to cover it up by shrugging and shifting his gaze from hers. "Not that it matters much to me. Your love life is your personal business as is who you spend your time with."

Then, suddenly, they both realised what this was truly about. It was not about her magic, it was not even about Merlin. It was the fact that they had grown apart. Apart from the occasional stormy night, they never spent time together.

They had once been inseperable, what happened to that? That was why the fact that she had told Merlin first hurt him more than he thought it would; he missed her. Gods, did he miss her. His Lady.

He used to be the person that she would directly go to in her time of need and now, he was not even second but third choice? Alongside Gaius and Merlin? Needless to say, it sent a dagger to his heart.

As if she had heard his thoughts - and maybe, Arthur thought, what with her magic, it was not beside the realms of possibility - she said, "I miss you, Arthur."

The words, so gentle and yet so daunting pulled at his heartstrings and he met her eyes, his expression softening dramatically. "As I miss you, Morgana," he said, offering her a soft smile before returning his gaze to the floor. "But-...I need time. I need to think things through," he said as he made his way towards her. Catching the look of distress on her face, he shook his head. "Nonono, don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I certainly won't tell my father. But I need to think about-...Gods, I don't know, Morgana. I need to think," he said, clutching his fists at his side.

She let out a sigh; it was better than nothing. She lowered her eyes to the stone cold floor. "I understand."

Looking at the top of her head, he smiled once more, gently, his eyes filled with nothing but admiration where once betrayal lay. He took a step forward and grasped her shoulders in one of his hands once more but this time it wasn't in anger, nor was it a violent movement. It was gentle, it was loving. With his free hand, he tilted her chin up with his forefinger. He wanted to tell her to not be afraid, to not worry. But knowing Morgana, he knew that was not possible. So he merely grinned. "I must admit, I'm rather glad that you have magic. For a moment, when-when I thought you were with Merlin, I-..." he trailed off, sighing as he bit his lip. "Needless to say, I'm glad it's not a secret man that you've been hiding from me."

But rather the first thing that earnt a person their deaths in his father's kingdom; what on Earth had happened to him? He was spouting such rubbish and it was all because of the shining beacon in front of him.

Morgana tilted her head at him, her brow furrowed in both confusion and curiosity. "And why is that?" she asked quietly, the small crinkle in her brow softening as he chuckled.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked as he craned his head towards her, pressing his lips to her cheek. "Sleep, Morgana. For tomorrow brings a new day and with it, a new court meeting." He released her somewhat reluctantly before stepping slowly backwards out of her chambers. "Goodnight, my lady."

Morgana barely noticed the door clicking, her hand was pressed to her cheek where his lips had once been, staring in disbelief at him.

What had he meant? Obvious? How could that have been any less helpful? But all the same, it brought a smile to her face as she turned and crawled into bed. "Goodnight, my champion," she breathed into her pillow before promptly falling asleep, exhausted by the day.

* * *

Walking down the corridor with a giddy grin on his face, Arthur soon reached his chambers. He opened the doors to find a worried Merlin waiting for him. "Merlin," he greeted, still beaming. "You're early. Good, I have a job for you."

But Merlin, for once, did not make some sort of sarcastic remark such as '_when do you ever not?_', nor did he call him a dollophead. All he did was step forward towards his master, nothing but concern writing itself into his features as he saw the cut on his forehead. "What happened?" he insisted. "Who did this to you?"

Arthur merely shrugged in reply as he took a giant gulp from his goblet that he found on the table. "I fell over, Merlin, it's nothing to worry about. Even a Prince has his clumsy moments. Now, stop your fussing and fetch me my white tunic, will you?" he asked, standing in the middle of the room and holding out his arms expectantly.

Merlin frowned, something was definitely wrong. "Where have you been?" he asked as he followed through with his job, rummaging through Arthur's drawers until he found his tunic.

"I hardly think I have to explain myself to my manservant, do you, _**Merlin**_?" Arthur asked with a quirked brow as he pulled his red tunic from his body only to replace it with his white one. His wardrobe was not very varied at all. "If you truly must know, I was with Morgana."

Merlin froze for a moment; luckily, he hoped, not too obviously as he looked the Prince over.

Had she done this to him? She was hurt and delirious when she had left his chambers.

Gods what if-...what if his actions had prompted her to hurt or even kill Arthur?

"Is that so? In the middle of the night?" he asked as he folded Arthur's tunic over his arm, his eyebrow arching.

"Yes," Arthur snapped, rounding on him. "Is there a problem with that?"

Merlin pursed his lips, raising his hands in a surrendering manner. "Of course not, sire. It's just that-...well, it's the _**middle of the night**_. Not even that, it's morning. And yet you have only just returned from a Lady's chambers."

Arthur cleared his throat, shrugging as he quickly made his way towards his bed. "You know as well as I - or maybe even better - Merlin, that the Lady Morgana suffers from nightmares. They're worse when it's storming so I thought that I would check she was alright."

Merlin tilted his head as he looked out of the completely dry window. "I didn't hear a storm," he said, frowning. Something was wrong.

Had Morgana told Arthur about how indifferently Merlin had treated her? Of course not, that would involve her telling Arthur about her magic. And that was the one thing he thought she would never do.

But then again-...what did Arthur mean by 'maybe even better'? What possible reason could a manservant have to be consorting with a Lady of court? He also worried about what she would become if she was left alone. He knew as well as anyone in the castle of her determined nature and of her rage. She could prove to be dangerous. He would certainly have to keep his eye on the sorceress.

"Goodnight, Merlin," Arthur said pointedly as he flopped down on the pillow, blowing out his candle.

Merlin chuckled to himself; what did he do to deserve such a prat for a master. "Goodnight, sire," he said as he briskly turned on the heel of his boot to make his way to the doors. Just before he opened them, however, he turned to face Arthur even though he could not see him. "So you and Morgana are-...good, then?" he asked, knowing how the Prince had been missing her, even if he would not admit it.

Arthur smiled into his pillow. "Goodnight, Merlin," he said once more, the smile evident in his voice and answering his question entirely.


	4. Chapter 4

_+Guys, omg. I'm so sorry for how late this is. I've had a muse but it's not been for fic, it's been for RP. I roleplay as Morgana on Tumblr and my Arthur's been back recently so I've been focussing a fair bit of my attention on that. But here goes! Thank you all for your reviews, please keep sending them! I promise to try and update more; school has been super busy, too. But once my exams are over (in a few days, gah!) I'll be updating at least once a week, I hope. This chapter's kinda short and the story's gonna be continued but I wanted to get something out because I feel /awful/. Review, please!+_

Letting out a low grumble, Arthur stretched his strong muscles as the blaring light flared in through the windows.

Morning.

His once most hated time of the day but that was in the past. Not anymore. For now, morning brought breakfast with Morgana. He grinned and quickly shot up, tripping over on his own feet and landed face-first on the floor. "Ugh..." he groaned as he pressed his face into the wood of the floor.

"Graceful as ever, your majesty," Merlin's smirk was evident in his voice as he stood behind him, resting on the frame of the bed with crossed arms.

Arthur quickly scrambled up, brushing himself down and looking very indignant at having been mocked by his manservant. "Shut up, Merlin," he said, throwing a pillow at him before he cleared his throat. "Well, come on, then. I've places to be," he said, moving behind his screen as he stripped the white tunic from his body, throwing it to one side.

"So..." Merlin started, picking up his blue tunic from the chair and throwing it over the screen to his master. "Excited to see Morgana, are we?"

"Morgana?" Arthur asked, his voice higher than normal and head popping up above the screen before he shrugged it off. "Doesn't make any difference to me whether she's there or not. I'm just-...hungry, that's all."

"Oh, really?" Merlin asked, biting back a chuckle.

"Yes,_ Mer_lin," Arthur said, that typical Pendragon temper beginning to drip through his voice.

"Ah. Because-...you used to say that breakfast with your father and Morgana was a dull affair. Especially as you could just as well have it warm in your bed," Merlin teased, only to be hit in the face by one of Arthur's socks.

"Shut up, Merlin."

* * *

After some more teasing from Merlin (which resulted with Merlin wearing a bucket on his head), Arthur made his way to Morgana's chambers.

As he came to the spiral staircase just before them, he took in a deep breath. Why was he always so nervous just before he saw her now? He had grown up with her but-...now everything had changed. Something had changed within them. For the better. He had never felt this way before about anyone and nor did he wish to; not anyone other than Morgana.

Quickly checking himself over and checking his breath in his hand, he made his way up the steps only to run straight into Gwen. "Guinevere!" he exclaimed, blushing. "Sorry, I did not think you would be here so early."

Gwen chuckled, shaking her head. The pair seemed to think that nobody knew about their infatuation with each other within the castle but truly; it was only Uther who seemed oblivious. "That's quite alright, my lord," she said, inclining her head a little. "I take it you are here to see Morgana."

Arthur's lips curled in a smile at the mention of her name and he nodded. "Is she awake?"

"Just about..." Gwen trailed off with a small frown on her face. "The nightmares are getting worse, Arthur." Normally, it would be frowned upon to speak to a Prince so casually but when it came to Arthur, nothing was truly all that traditional. And he did not mind; not at all. Gwen was just as much his friend as one of his knights. Besides, titles were highly overrated.

His brow furrowed as he looked at her. "Is that so?" If it was one thing that was always consistent with Arthur's ever-changing moods, it was his concern for Morgana. There was not a moment when he did not worry for her and ever since she had told him her secret, that had increased. Even though he felt relieved that she _had_ told him, she was still so mysterious. Just like his moods, she was an ever-changing landscape to him. Day by day, he would uncover more of her and learn more about her, reading her like a book but then she would throw something else at him and throw him for a loop. He nodded firmly and gave Gwen's shoulder a squeeze. "Thank you, Guinevere. I'll see to her immediately."

Gwen curtsied and quickly made her way down the stairs, turning around just in time to see him nervously knock on the door.

"Morgana?" he called gently through the door. "Are you decent?"

From her vanity table, Morgana turned in her seat and smiled to herself before quickly wiping it from her face and making her way to the door. She pulled open the door and smiled politely at the man in front of her even though her breath was instantly knocked from her lungs. "Arthur. Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Arthur bit back a smirk as he saw his lady open the door. Gods, she was beautiful. Her dress was elegantly hugging her figure, ebony hair tumbling down her shoulders. He raised his brow at her politeness but he knew what she was doing. The pair had the tendency to flirt in public far too often. Ever since she had told him about her magic, things had been-...awkward at times but then again, better than ever. He was worried, as always, that something worse was happening to his moonlight. But now that he knew, he felt a sense of calm. At first, he was angry, he was hurt and he was confused. But now, he knew that all he wanted to do was make sure that Morgana never came to any harm. Especially not at the hands of anyone in Camelot. Especially not at his father's hands. So that was precisely why he could not let Uther know that they were close. For he would send guards after them to check that the future King and Queen would not be harmed in any way and-...well, Morgana would never be allowed to be herself. And that was all he wanted for her; for her to always be-...her.

He cleared his throat and inclined his head. "I did, my lady. I've come to accompany you to the dining hall. Father is waiting," he said, holding out an arm for her. "My lady?"

Morgana rolled her eyes fondly and said in the expected reply, "My champion."

* * *

Before long, their demeanour had quickly slipped away and they were laughing and smiling along, their eyes dancing as they looked at one another.

But their good mood was soon shattered as when they walked in, they did not find just Uther but Uther and a pack of guards. Guards whom were holding both Guinevere and Lancelot - Arthur's most trusted knight - tightly by the arms.

Morgana quickly disentangled herself from Arthur and stepped forward, her face hardened in that way that always sent shivers through whoever was on the recieving end's spines. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.

Uther sighed as he sat in his chair, head resting in his hand. "Morgana, please, not now..." he trailed off, dragging a finger across his forehead. The situation was difficult enough without his fiery ward being involved. But then again, he could not avoid it. As he well knew, Guinevere was Morgana's best friend as well as her maidservant.

"I demand to know," Morgana insisted, her eyes darting worriedly over to Guinevere.

What on Earth was going on? And why was Lancelot involved?

Uther let out a huff, standing before he pointed to Guinevere, making her flinch. "Your maidservant was found in the stables with Sir Lancelot." His face coloured as he avoided her gaze, coughing shortly to cover up his embarassment at such a situation. It simply would not do. Not in his kingdom. "Acting rather-...inappropriately."

Morgana raised an eyebrow incredulously, pulling such a face that Arthur had to bite his lip to not laugh. She was looking at the King like he was mad and perhaps he was. His eyes moved over to Lancelot. "Father, with all due respect-..." he started as he moved between the guards so that he was standing beside Morgana. "Lancelot is a Knight of Camelot. He is a nobleman and he has his freedom. It is not our responsibility to check whom he should spend his time with."

Uther's face twisted frustratedly as he slammed a gloved hand down on the table. "But the girl is our responsibility," he spat.

"She has a name, you know," Morgana snapped but was silenced as Uther held out a finger towards her.

"Morgana, do not forget your place. The girl's name is of little relevance. She has committed a crime against Camelot."

Disgust lining her features, Morgana parted her lips to speak but was quickly silenced as Arthur spoke up, "How is love a crime, Father?"

Everyone in the hall turned to face Arthur, even the guards. It was a very rare occasion that the young prince would speak up against his father and if he did, it was only in the most direst of need. It was certainly not concerning-...love. But Arthur knew differently. Arthur knew that lingering in the back of his mind, he was worried that this would be the reaction for whe-..._**if**_ he and Morgana should ever get together. And it terrified him beyond belief.

"What did you say?" Uther asked, rounding on his son.

Arthur looked to the guards, then to Lancelot and slowly, he felt himself begin to sink back into his shell of safe quiet that he always resorted to during one of his father's rages. But then he saw Morgana and he felt something wash over him like a warm blanket draping over his shoulders.

Strength.

That was what she gave him. She made him want to stand up against his father.

_Sometimes you've got to do what you think is right. And damn the consequences. _

Was that not what she had said to him only the year before? She knew him better than anyone-...Gods, she knew him better than his own father did. And she was the only one that could convince him to go against his ruling. "You heard me," he said, his voice low. "I believe that this punishment is unfair. As a Knight, granted, society dictates that Lancelot would be loathed to not marry a noble. But that doesn't mean that he _**should**_. I truly believe that if Guinevere makes him happy then that is all that matters. He should-...he should damn the consequences." He raised his eyes slowly and slyly to meet Morgana's and he saw something that took his breath away.

The pride that was painting itself across her face was unlike anything he could ever hope to see from her. She was smiling so much that she had to lower her gaze in an attempt to veil it. She knew just how difficult it was for Arthur to stand up for his father and here he was, doing it. And for her servant. But he knew as well as she that Guinevere was so much more than just a servant. _Thank you,_ she mouthed.

He answered it by giving her a small wink but then his attention was quickly drawn back to his father.

"How _dare_ you question my judgement," he growled, stepping towards him.

"If I am to be King, father, I have to know when to speak up," Arthur argued back.

Uther looked at his son in complete shock, his lips parted but no words escaping them.

"He's right," Morgana said from behind them, stepping forward in an attempt to offer Arthur some support. "It is none of our business. Not even _yours_, Uther Pendragon."

Distracting his anger from Arthur, Uther rounded on Morgana. "How dare you speak to me this way!" he shouted, stepping closer and closer to her.

She took in a breath, but glared defiantly up at him. "When you stop acting like a tyrant, then perhaps we will not question you. When you show that you have a heart, then we will respect you. But I think your heart is long gone, Uther. There's nothing left but stone."

An aura began to settle over the room, sending shivers down everyone's spines as the sorceress and the King glared at one another, Uther's veins pumping with anger and Morgana's the same. And then something happened that took everyone off guard; Uther grabbed his ward by the throat and pushed her against the wall, illiciting a gasp from everyone present.

Arthur watched on, his jaw and fists clenched and eyes burning with inexplicable rage. _**Nobody**_ touched Morgana; not even his father. But he knew he could not do anything; no matter how much it hurt to watch her be treated that way.

"You will learn to treat me with some respect, Morgana. Or I'll have you restrained," he spat before with a rough push, he threw her to the side. "Get out of my sight."

Gasping for breath, Morgana gripped at her throat, tears already burning in her eyes. She felt a comforting warm hand on her back as she stood and looked into the warm eyes of Arthur but she pushed him away. Slowly, menacingly, she turned to face her guardian; eyes swimming with tears but also riddled with hate. "Go to hell, Uther Pendragon," she hissed as she swiftly turned and walked from the room.

"Leave us," Uther said, waving a hand. "You are both banished forthwith from Camelot."

"Father, you canno-"

"My word is final, Arthur," Uther said, turning on his son as he watched Guinevere and Lancelot be dragged away. "I've never been more ashamed. How could you embarass me as such?"

"I was fighting for what I thought to be right, Father," Arthur snapped, his anger finally filtering through. He was still so-..._**angry **_at how Uther had treated Morgana. "You did not need to treat Morgana that way."

"She was fighting against me. What else could I do?" Uther asked with a shrug as he sat down.

"You didn't need to hurt her," Arthur growled, his chin quivering with anger. "All she did was say what everybody else in the Kingdom thinks!" His temper had escalated until he was now shouting at him.

"Arthu-

"No!" Arthur roared, slamming his hands down on the table. "Morgana was right. You're a tyrant. You're nothing but a hypocrite. You speak of duty and of fighting for justice. But you do not know justice, Father! Nor do you know mercy. And Morgana-...she _knows_ what's right. And I know that as well. And yet you-...you can sit there and still claim to be a just King?" He lifted his hands from the table so that they were clenched at his side. "I'm to attend Morgana. God knows she'll be shaken," he whispered before swiftly turning on his heel to leave the King to mull over his thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

_+Hey, guys. I've decided that I'm going to set Tuesday as my update day so that I don't feel so guilty for randomly updating. However, if inspiration strikes, I may update twice a week but who knows? I guess it's cos these upcoming chapters are getting more plotty now which requires a lot more thought from me. But don't worry! Even if things don't make sense now, they will in times to come; I've got it all figured out ;) Okay, so this chapter is going to be longer than the last because I need to get this one out. But it's quite angsty so be prepared. And Dark!Merlin is going to be properly explored in a few chapters so don't worry, the confusion will not last! Reviews help my muse!+_

Rage still pumping through his veins, Arthur walked up the familiar stone steps of Morgana's chambers. He needed to push his anger aside, however, for it would not do to comfort her when he was feeling like this. His first priority (as always, these days) was Morgana. He could not imagine how she must have been feeling right now but the mere thought of it made his heart clench as he stepped up towards her door.

"Go away!" she called through it, her voice cracking in the middle of her shout.

But of course, he ignored her.

She needed him; no matter how hard she tried to deny it. That was the thing with Morgana; she claimed to be strong all the time, to be fearless, to be unbreakable. But that was only because she was already broken.

And Arthur knew that better than anyone. He could still remember the day that she had first arrived to Camelot and how she, only a little girl at the time, had run up to her chambers, her face hardened with sorrow. But then, he had come to her just as he did now and he could still remember the faint sounds of her sobs through the door.

Pressing his hand against the wood, he carefully shifted it open and stepped inside to see her curled up on her bed in a rather childlike manner. "Morgana..."

Morgana peered over her shoulder, emerald eyes speckled with red; they looked so sore from crying. "Do you not know the meaning of 'go away', Arthur?" she snapped, turning back around and burying her face in her pillow.

If they were in another situation, Arthur might've laughed. She was so fiery even when suffering a setback like this. But he didn't, he merely smiled fondly down at her before closing the door behind him and walking over to her bed. "Budge up," he said, rolling himself onto the sheets, giving her shoulder a playful shove.

Morgana groaned and pulled the covers over her face. "Gods, Pendragon, will you ever leave me alone?!" she whined but he could tell that she was not truly mad.

For he heard the smile in her voice, however faint it may have been. "The day that I do will be the day I die," he murmured, his voice low but gentle as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Come here..."

Easily, she slipped into his arms, burying her tear-striped face in his chest as she relished in the warmth he brought her. "I hate him," she hissed, her chin quivering some.

Arthur let out a sigh, shaking his head. "I know." It was difficult; he was-...somehow having to choose between his father and Morgana. But he couldn't; he loved them both the same, only in different ways. He carefully lifted his hand to smooth down her ebony hair, dragging his fingers through the waves. "I'm so sorry he did that to you, Morgana. And to Guinevere. I know how much you care for her."

Morgana sniffled, shaking her head. "There was nothing you could do. And you tried; that's all that matters to me, Arthur." With that, she tilted her head slightly so that she could offer him a smile but he did not return it.

For he caught sight of the red bruises on her neck from his father's fingers and it made his blood boil, teeth gritting against each other. Nobody touched Morgana, and nobody dared to hurt her. Not whilst he was around. But yet again, he was faced with the problem of having a choice between her and his father. And he'd be damned if he knew the answer or at least if he wanted to accept it. "Nonetheless..." he trailed off, sighing deeply. "I'll not let him do it again." Realising that it-...hurt too much to see her wounded like that, he carefully distentangled himself from her embrace and stood, moving over to the window. She stood there so often that he hoped it may give him the guidance and hope that it seemed to give her. But all it brought was the vision of Guinevere and Lancelot being thrown quite violently out of the city gates. He tutted, looking to the floor. "Lancelot was a good and loyal knight, as was Guinevere loyal to you as a maid. And they were both good friends of Camelot. How could he repay them this way?" His fist was clenched as he spoke. "If it were not for Lancelot, he would be dead. And if it were not for Guinevere-..._**you**_ would be dead."

He looked to the floor as he thought about it; who would look after Morgana when he was away on training and suchlike? He knew as well as she that she was perfectly capable of looking after herself but he felt safer to know she was not alone. And granted, in a large castle such as this she could never be properly alone. But she deserved to have someone who cared for her with her at all times.

Morgana was clearly lost in the same thoughts as she stood to see them leave, sighing. "I remember when Lancelot first came to Camelot. So young, so handsome." She would have smiled at the twitch of jealousy portrayed in Arthur's lip were they in another situation but the heaviness on her heart was too much to bear. "Lord knows what convinced him to save Uther after how he had treated him. Calling him a commoner and claiming that to affect his bravery. I suppose he had always had the bravery of a Knight of Camelot; I could see that from the first time I laid eyes on him..." she trailed off from her musing, looking down at the window ledge. "A-And Guinevere, well-..." She bit down hard on her lip as a lump once again rose in her throat. "Arthur?" she started, looking up at him. "I need you to do something for me."

Arthur stepped forward and took her slender hands in his strong ones. "Anything," he said sincerely.

"I-...I want to accompany them out of Camelot. They are my friends, they are _**our**_ friends, Arthur. I at least need to know that they are safe. And that they-...that they will have a new home. Somewhere where they can live happily and away from this tyranny," she said, her voice getting stronger by the second as she clenched her jaw determinedly.

"Morgana-..."

"Arthur, please. I need to do this; it is the only way that I will feel-...better about all of this. I need you to do this one thing for me," she said, dragging her thumb subconsciously across his knuckles. "Please."

Arthur looked as if he was still going to protest but judging by the look on Morgana's face, there would be no point. She was as stubborn as he was and he knew that he could never say 'no' to her even if he tried. Especially after what she had been through. Especally after she had trusted him enough to tell him her secret. He could never be grateful enough for that. He sighed and shook his head with a wry smile lighting his lips. "You'll be the death of me, my lady."

She couldn't help but giggle and smiled sweetly at him. "I know." With that, she pressed up onto her toes to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, Arthur. I shan't be long; I'll be back just after supper. I don't expect Uther will expect me to turn up to that, anyway. If he asks, I'm certain you'll think of something."

* * *

Pulling the hood further over her head, Morgana looked in the mirror in her reflection before it was greeted by a welcome face.

Arthur came up behind her and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Now, are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, his voice tainted with worry but his jaw fixed.

Morgana nodded, nibbling her lip. She couldn't deny that she was somewhat nervous but it was only because she was going to have to say goodbye to Guinevere-...her maidservant, her best friend, her rock. But then she had Arthur beside her; perhaps he would be her new rock. He was always the thing that kept her sane, that kept her standing.

"Then you must go. They'll be waiting," he said, turning her around, hands still on her shoulders. "Come back safely to me," he said, offering her a gentle smile before he tilted his head down to press a kiss to her forehead.

Blushing despite herself, she quirked a brow at him. "Doubting me, Arthur?" she teased.

He chuckled."How could I ever?" he asked warmly before he gave her a playful shove away. "Stop wasting time, Le Fay."

Morgana laughed, rolling her eyes. "Goodbye, Pendragon," she said, scrunching her face up at him in reply before she swiftly made her way out of the door and down the corridor, not noticing Merlin lurking in the shadows and watching her go.

* * *

"And you are certain she'll be there?" Kilgaharrah rumbled as he looked down at the young warlock.

"I saw her leave myself, my lord," Merlin replied, his eyes darkening. "Morgana will be on Camelot's borders by nightfall. Alone." Apart from Lancelot and Guinevere, of course, but they would not be a problem. Not after Merlin had spoken to them; he had a way with words, he could easily get them on their side. The _**right**_ side. Especially after what Uther had done to them. Why should they have any loyalty to Camelot when it did not return it? That was, after all, why he was now against the kingdom. Not Arthur, not really. But if he proved to be a-...problem then perhaps that would change.

Nothing would stand in the way of his plans.

"Good," the dragon sneered, his lips pulling over his teeth in a devilish grin. "And she will not return. You must see to that, Merlin. Do not fail me. This is your chance to prove your loyalty to me."

Merlin nodded, his heart thumping in his chest.

Had he not already done that through turning against his own kingdom, his friends, his family?

But all the same, he gave a small bow of his head before walking back towards Camelot.

* * *

"You did not have to come with us, Morgana," Guinevere said, smiling softly over at her friend. They were all so tired but they had to keep going. If they were found within Camelot's borders before the day had passed, they would be immediately sentenced to death. Especially if they were found with the King's ward; he would most likely accuse them of having kidnapped her or Morgana would be on the recieving end of his cruel hand of punishment.

"Oh, do not speak such nonsense, Gwen," Morgana chided but her voice was pooled with fondness. "I-...I could hardly let the two of you go without a decent goodbye. Especially after all you have done for me." She reached out and took both of their hands, squeezing them. "You mean more to me than you could ever realise."

Lancelot merely smiled to himself; he was a man of very few words and none would suffice to show how grateful he was to Morgana. Although she had never said, he knew that she played a major part of his being knighted. After all, it was common knowledge that she had Arthur wrapped around her little finger and also that she was the only one who could convince him to defy his father.

"Now, come along," Morgana said brightly, trying to lighten the mood. "Tell me all about this."

"All about what?" Lancelot enquired, quirking his brow.

"You and Gwen," the young ward said playfully, returning the look on his face. "I'm most intrigued; I never even-...would have guessed...I did not know you two even spoke to each other, let alone being in love."

Guinevere was smiling to herself, a blush flooding over her freckled cheeks. "Love finds us in the most peculiar of times and places, my lady. You know that better than most."

Morgana choked on her own air as she said that, her attention immediately captured by Guinevere's words. "Wh-what? What's that supposed to mean?"

Gwen looked at her mistress incredulously, dipping her head. "Oh, come on, Morgana. You think we have not noticed?"

"Noticed what?" Morgana asked, hands on her hips as she stilled their walk.

"W-well..." Gwen trailed off, thinking that she had spoken out of turn. "You and Arthur."

Morgana gaped at her, eyebrows shooting into her hairline. "There is nothing going on between Arthur and I. What could poss-..."

But then something happened that caught all of them off-guard. A loud battle yell echoed around the forest as at least a dozen men stormed through the trees, swords raised. They were utterly surrounded. Lancelot pulled his sword from his sheathe but he had not noticed the bandit behind him who used to hilt of his sword to hit the Knight on the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious immediately.

"Lancelot!" Gwen cried, rushing towards him only to be pulled back. "Let me go!" she shouted but was silenced as a cloth was held over her mouth, the smelling salts flowing into the very crevices of her mind as her vision began to blur and she went limp in the man's arms.

And then that only left Morgana who had watched the entire scene with wide eyes. "D-Don't come any closer," she said, raising her hand and ready to strike with magic if needed.

The men laughed, one stepping forward who she assumed to be the leader. "And what would you do, my lady? You have no weapon," he mocked, raising his arms.

"I do not need one," Morgana replied with the same tone before her eyes flashed golden but her confidence was shortlived as a sudden burning sensation washed through her entire form, her magic shooting straight back at her. She looked down at her hands, twisting them back and forth as confusion riddled her mind. But her unasked question was answered as the leader held up a stone.

"Your magic has no power here, witch," he spat, stepping forward menacingly as her eyes filled with dread before suddenly, all was darkness.

* * *

The fire crackled as Arthur Pendragon's boots paced back and forth in front of it, occasionally stopping to grip the edge of the fireplace and look into the flames as if they would offer him any sort of support. For Morgana was the light and the flame in his life that was ever-present in his heart. But it seemed that physical flames could not replace the mystery and wonder that was-...her. He huffed, pulling back once more as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I knew I should not have let her go. How could you have been so bloody stupid?" he snapped at himself.

"Strange. That's something I ask myself everyday," Merlin's voice came from behind him and Arthur quickly looked up.

"Have you ever heard of knocking, Merlin?" Arthur scolded as he moved away from the fireplace to brood in his chair, a hand holding up his chin.

"I have but I choose to ignore it. Quicker that way and it means I catch you off-guard," Merlin said playfully as he walked towards him, leaning against the bedpost. "What's wrong?"

Arthur sighed, closing his eyes. "Nothing..." his words came breathily as he huffed out another sigh.

"Really? 'Cos it seems to me that with that grump and pout on your lips, there is," Merlin said, his eyebrow lifting. "Come on, tell me, clotpole."

Arthur hesitated. Should he really tell Merlin? He has promised Morgana that he would not let on to Uther but-...not Merlin, surely. He was hardly going to run and tell the King, was he? He let go of the arms of the chair before standing and walking over to his servant so that he could speak to him privately. "Morgana's gone with Guinevere and Lancelot. She wanted to say goodbye," he murmured.

Merlin had to pretend as if this was the first time he had heard such news and raised his brows. "Really? Well, why are you so worried? Isn't that a good thing? She's doing what she wants."

"Yeah, and she's been doing so for hours. It should not have taken her this long..." the young prince trailed off to bite at his lips. "I should go after her," he decided, moving over to his chair to pull his jacket from it.

Desperation filled Merlin's eyes but luckily his master was turned from him and he stepped forward. "I'm sure she's fine," he hurriedly said. "You worry too much, Arthur. Morgana is perfectly capable of looking after herself." But he hoped if his plan was to succeed that his words were not true.

"No, Merlin, I worry exactly the right amount," Arthur snapped, rounding on him. "I-...I don't know what I would do if anything happened to her. And I'll not let it happen. Not now, not ever. Is that understood?"

For a moment, Merlin's hard exterior settled at seeing the Prince's heart but it was quickly returned. How _**dare**_ he speak to him like that? He was to be the most powerful sorcerer in all of the Earth; he deserved to be more than this. More than a _**servant**_. But that was what he was working towards and he had to remember that. The most patient were the most heavily rewarded.

Arthur sighed, shaking his head. "I'm going after her, Merlin. And that's the end of it." He pulled a satchel over his shoulder and made his way towards the door. "And I would hope that you would come with me."

Hate burned in Merlin's eyes as they looked out of the window but he quickly forced himself to replace it with warmth and a smile as he turned to face him. "Someone's got to protect you, you ass."

* * *

"Morgana!" Arthur's voice echoed throughout the forest as he and a disgruntled Merlin trudged through the rain.

"Morgana?" Merlin muttered half-heartedly, hoping that they would be too late but then he spotted it. The cottage where the bandits that he had hired lived was right before them.

And Arthur had spotted it. "Let's look in here. Perhaps they stopped to get out of the rain."

Merlin reached forward and pulled back his hand. "No, Arthur, it's not safe," he said fiercely.

Arthur turned on him, a frown prominent on his face as he pulled his arm from his servant's grasp. "Merlin, it's a cottage. Hardly dangerous." He eyed his friend for a moment before tutting and making his way over. He pressed his hands against the glass and peered inside before he was greeted with an image that sent dread rolling through him to his soul; Morgana was tied, unconscious to a chair. "Merlin!" he virtually screamed as he punched through the glass to reach around and let himself in. "She's in here!"

But Merlin did not run to his aid. How could this have happened? How could they have been so stupid to leave her alone?

"Merlin!" Arthur roared once more as he hurried to Morgana's side, falling to his knees before her. "Morgana...Morgana, speak to me, can you hear me?" he muttered worriedly, trying to hide how much his hands were shaking as they cupped her cheeks. Her small mumble alerted him that she was alive and it sent waves of relief through him but he was just grateful that he had got there. If he had been a moment too late, she could have caught hypothermia or anything-...anything could have happened to her. "You're safe now," he said sincerely, lifting her up into his arms bridal-style, her hair falling over his forearm. He turned to go back to Camelot when a clunk told him that something had fallen to the floor. With a frown, he turned but then his eyes widened as he saw a large stone on the floor. It looked like a sorcerer's stone but that was not what worried him. What worried and scared him was the word clearly written in blood on it.

WITCH


	6. Chapter 6

_+ Hey guys. I'm so sorry this is late. These past few weeks have been hell. I've had to go to hospital, I've had to take my boyfriend to hospital, I've had exams, I've had performances, I've had coursework. But the one thing I haven't had? Time. No time at all for this and it sucks. I'm sorry ;-; pls forgive me. This is kinda a preview I guess cos I'm too tired to write a full one but I wanted to give you guys SOMETHING because of how long it's been. Please forgive me and please review! It really helps my muse to know that someone's actually reading this and enjoying it. So comment on things you want to happen or things you think may happen or things you're nervous for? Idk. Just something. Every review helps :) +_

Investigations had rifled Camelot to find out who Morgana's attacker was; the Knights turned the entire kingdom upside down to do so but to no avail. There was nothing. No clues, no leads. Just Morgana's faint description of the leader of the bandits. But, of course, Arthur knew that they could not reveal everything that happened that night. Especially not the stone that he found with Morgana's blood on it-...Gods, if he got his hands on whoever did that to her...

It scared him what he might have done. He may have lost himself but he would not have cared; nobody touched her. But it was not over yet. Someone knew. Someone knew about Morgana and her magic. If word was to reach Uther-...Morgana could be sentenced to-...

He couldn't even think about it. It struck his heart like a dagger that never stopped twisting him; contorting his heart back and forth until he felt as if it was going to burst.

Soon enough, they had to call off the searches as a plague began to strike its way through Camelot. Water was churning through the pipes and wells as sand. The harvests were dying. The livestock were dying. The kingdom was surrounded by death. And so, they needed every able-bodied knight they could get their hands on.

For Arthur, it was all too painfully familiar of when he had killed the Unicorn and was put through a series of trials. Yet again, Camelot was under a trial. Yet again, his people were fighting for their lives.

Whenever he was on patrol, however, he could not take his mind off of Morgana. He had spent the past few weeks looking after her. Holding her when she cried, holding her until she fell asleep. But he felt that it wasn't enough. Nothing he could do for her would be enough until he found everyone who seeked to destroy her and stopped them. Prevented them from ever harming her again. Until he was properly her Champion. She assured him that he had done more than enough and that in fact, he had almost done too much. She was not more important than the entire kingdom. But to him, she was.

She was his kingdom.

Granted, he loved the people and the walls of the kingdom more than words could describe. But Morgana was-...well, she was Morgana. Truly, he didn't need to say more. If nobody could see how much he loved her then they truly were blind. The only thing he had to do now was to tell her. And even he was not brave enough for that.

Weren't his actions enough? Could she not see already? No. He had to do this properly. She deserved that. She deserved to be loved thoroughly.

However, his declaration of love would have to wait. For his father had requested for him to meet him in the throne room. They had not properly spoken since Morgana's attack. Truthfully, Arthur blamed the old King for it. If he had not frightened Morgana-...perhaps she would not have gone. Perhaps she would have stayed in the kingdom and have been safe. But all the same, he loved and respected his father and the kingdom was in trouble so all personal feelings had to pushed to one side.

He took a deep breath as he reached the large oak doors before stepping inside. "You wished to see me, Father?"

"Ah, Arthur..." Uther trailed off as he looked at his son, offering a warm smile to him which was only returned by a grimace. "Yes. As you know, the kingdom has been under turmoil. And I cannot allow it to go on any further. The food stores are only going to last for a few more days and what then? We need to find the source of this sorcery."

At that, Arthur almost choked on his own breath. "So-sorcery? You think this is-...this is sorcery?"

"Well, what else could it be?" Uther asked, his brow furrowed. "We're hardly strangers to it, Arthur. And what other explanation could there be for it? Anyway, it's of no consequence now. I've sent for a witchfinder. The best. He's highly acclaimed in these lands; he'll find out what's wrong..."

Arthur's breath caught in his throat, an icy feeling spreading across his stomach and straight to his heart. This-...this couldn't happen.

What if-...what if he found out about Morgana?

"-When is he coming?"

"Today. He said he'd be here as swiftly as able. He should be here within the hour."

Arthur knew that protesting to his father would only increase susipicion so he simply nodded solemnly. "Yes, Father. I'll arrange for Merlin to prepare one of the guest chambers."

And with that, he turned on his heel and made his way out of the room and straight to Morgana's chambers to warn her.

* * *

The thumping on her door startled the young ward as she stood from her vanity table and opened the door, smiling instantly as she saw the face on the other side. "Arthur...To what do I owe this disturbance?" she teased, quirking her brow but she stopped immediately when she saw the look on his face. He was flushed, his eyes were fixed firmly on her, his hands were shaking. "What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, moving to take his hand but he pulled away and walked past her, closing the door quickly behind her. "-Arthur, you're frightening me, what is it?"

Arthur took in a few breaths, releasing them slowly before he stepped forward, taking her hands in his. "My father's blaming all of-...this on sorcery, Morgana. He's ordered for a witchfinder to be brought to Camelot." He knew that no more words needed to be said as a gasp escaped Morgana's lips. He felt her hands tremble lightly in his and it sent a twinge to his heart. "I'll not let him harm you, Morgana. I'll keep you safe, just as I always have." He raised his hand to cup her cheek. "Just as I always will." He smiled sincerely at her even though it faltered quickly when he saw the tears in her eyes. Whenever she cried, it broke his heart. He could feel her pain through and through and so, he wrapped his arms around her. "He won't find you," he said firmly, pressing his face into her hair. "I'd rather die than have anyone find out."


	7. Chapter 7

_+Hey guys! Sorry I've been away again. But I'm hoping to stick to my consistant updates a little more now that school has settled down. Your reviews all really helped and thank you for your kind words. Merlin's super evil in this but I promise it'll all be explained soon! This is the longest chapter that I've done but it's worth it, I hope. I thoroughly enjoyed writing it so please let me know if you enjoyed reading it! Reviews spark my muse so much and I love you all, thank you for sticking with me!+ _

The thumping on her door startled the young ward as she stood from her vanity table and opened the door, smiling instantly as she saw the face on the other side. "Arthur...To what do I owe this disturbance?" she teased, quirking her brow but she stopped immediately when she saw the look on his face. He was flushed, his eyes were fixed firmly on her, his hands were shaking. "What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, moving to take his hand but he pulled away and walked past her, closing the door quickly behind her. "-Arthur, you're frightening me, what is it?"

Arthur took in a few breaths, releasing them slowly before he stepped forward, taking her hands in his. "My father's blaming all of-...this on sorcery, Morgana. He's ordered for a witchfinder to be brought to Camelot." He knew that no more words needed to be said as a gasp escaped Morgana's lips. He felt her hands tremble lightly in his and it sent a twinge to his heart. "I'll not let him harm you, Morgana. I'll keep you safe, just as I always have." He raised his hand to cup her cheek. "Just as I always will." He smiled sincerely at her even though it faltered quickly when he saw the tears in her eyes. Whenever she cried, it broke his heart. He could feel her pain through and through and so, he wrapped his arms around her. "He won't find you," he said firmly, pressing his face into her hair. "I'd rather die than have anyone find out."

"I know," Morgana said, smiling softly up at him even though there was a doubt pulling at the back of her mind. She trusted Arthur, of course she did. She trusted him more than anyone in the entire kingdom but the fear that was crippling her was proving too much to bear. "I trust you," she continued softly, reaching up to cup his cheek.

"Good," Arthur grinned down at her, trying to stop the tremoring in his heart but to no avail as he leant down to press a kiss to her forehead. When he pulled back, his expression was far more serious. "He'll be here within the hour. We must be prepared."

Morgana nodded, her tongue flicking out to gently moisten her lips as her teeth worried her lower lip in between them before releasing it. "As long as I have you, I will be," she whispered, turning from him and moving to stand by the window as she looked out for the witchfinder's arrival.

Arthur moved to stand by her side and they did not move until they saw a dark carriage come into the courtyard.

Morgana's breath caught in her throat as she saw the back of the carriage was in the form of a cage, all manner of torture devices hanging from the top of it.

Arthur, too, it seemed has spotted it as he felt his heart turn to ice. But he had to remain strong; for Morgana. He reached an arm up and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. "You'll be safe," he said once more, his voice firm and unquestionable.

Morgana nodded into his chest, letting out a sigh into his tunic. She didn't move her gaze from the witchfinder as he dropped down to the floor, however, his face shrouded in darkness by the simple hat he wore. But then, his face was revealed to them as he looked up, immediately locking eyes with the young ward. She gasped and hastily backed away from the window; hardly the subtlest of movements but she couldn't help herself. The way he looked at her-...it was if he already knew. Which was ridiculous but there was something about it that didn't sit right with her.

The way that Morgana had shot back terrified Arthur as he glared down at the witchfinder before hastily drawing the curtains of her chambers so that he couldn't bother his lady any further. "I'll tell them you're ill," he said, turning to her and cupping her shoulders in his hands. "You won't have to speak with him, Morgana. You'll barely notice he's here. I'll stop him. You'll be safe." He let out a gentle sigh as he saw her face; so distant as if she was entirely locked in her own thoughts. Once again, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll be back tonight. Do not open your doors for anybody other than Gwen and I. I'll tell her everything when I next see her."

His fingers lifted to brush a lock of her beautiful ebony hair from her face before he stepped from the room, catching her eyes at the last moment before he closed the doors of her chambers and made his way to the throne room where he would have to greet this man who could-...who could ruin everything. But he wouldn't let him.

The witchfinder chuckled to himself before he strolled arrogantly up the steps and into the throne room.

Uther stood with a wide grin on his face, extending his arms graciously as he saw the witchfinder step into the throne room. "Ah, Alvain..." he greeted with a warm smile as he shook his hand. "Camelot welcomes you with open arms. Especially in such a trying time as thi-"

He was cut off as the doors swung open once more, the young Prince stepping through them. He cleared his throat, giving a polite bow of his head. "Forgive me, Father. I was delayed. Sir." His eyes met with Alvain's as he bowed his head once more.

Uther frowned but kept a gritted smile on his face. "That's quite alright, Arthur. Now, where is Morgana?" he asked, quirking a brow.

"That is where I have been, sire," Arthur said nonchalantly as he stepped forward so that he was standing next to his father. "Morgana has fallen ill. She'll need as much rest as possible. I fear she'll not be able to join us tonight."

Alvain's brow quirked with interest. "She seemed alright just a moment ago, young prince. Perhaps you were mistaken." His eyes glinted dangerously as he looked at him, a smirk playing on her lips.

Uther's confusion only increased as he turned his attention to the witchfinder once more. "You've already met my ward?"

"Well, I would not say we've _**met**_," Alvain said, looking at his nails with disinterest. "I spotted her looking out of the window. She looked perfectly healthy to me if a little taken aback by the sight of me."

"Well, I can assure you, _**sir**_, that you were mistaken. She is unwell," Arthur insisted, his eyes blazing with a silent fury. "I've been tending to her all afternoon and she's not well enough to greet you. She sends her apologies and her best wishes to you."

Uther noted the tension between the two and quickly wrapped his arm around Alvain's shoulder, gesturing for him to follow him to the dining hall. "Forgive my son, old friend," he said, shooting a look back to Arthur. "He's rather protective of my young ward. They've grown up together, you understand."

"Young love, I see..." Alvain mused quietly with a small nod as he left the room; not without sending a smirk towards Arthur. "How wonderful."

* * *

Morgana's pale fingers toyed with the edges of her sheets as she sat up in bed, her eyes sore from the unshed tears. She had done as Arthur had asked and had locked the doors of her chambers but she could not sleep no matter how hard she tried. The look that he had given her; he knew, she was sure of it. Arthur had told her what she had been found with so it was certain in Camelot that someone _**did**_ know her secret. Who better than a witchfinder?

Her breath felt constricted in her chest as she tried to press her head back into the pillow before she was startled by a knock at her door. Childishly, she held the covers closer to her face, unwilling to make any sort of sound before she breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the only voice she trusted now - _'Morgana, it's alright. It's me. It's Arthur.'_ She swung her legs out of the bed before padding her way over to the door, unlocking and opening it quickly, eager to be reunited with him once more.

As soon as he saw that perfect face of hers, he took her in his arms, holding her tightly to his chest. He saw the flushed cheeks and the bloodshot eyes that showed she had been crying. And it tore him apart. Reluctantly, he released her and looked behind him before quickly stepping inside of her chambers. "They believed me," he said once she closed the door. "Well-"

"Well what?" Morgana pushed when he stopped, her eyes widening slightly.

"Alvain, that's his name. He-...he saw us together. In your chambers. He saw _**you**_. But I think I silenced him. No, I _**know**_ I silenced him," he said, his jaw set in determination.

Morgana nodded, trying to remain strong but-...Gods, it was proving difficult. She was terrified and now, she was already under suspicion. A light whimper escaped her lips instead of words as once again, he pulled her to his chest.

"He won't find you, Morgana. I'll make sure of it."

The pair were so wrapped up in each other that they did not notice the small crack in the door through which Merlin was gazing through, a wry smirk on his lips. He had them right where he wanted. The young witch was terrified and he could tell by the tense muscles that the Prince was the same. He would stop this-...sickening love affair they had started if it was the last thing he did.

His eyes glanced over Morgana's wrist which had a large silver bracelet hanging from it. He knew it well; her father had bought it for her when she was young. She didn't let it go; not ever. She never let it out of her sight. But this was no mere bracelet. He had known that from the moment he laid eyes on it; it was magic. It was a healing bracelet that the old fool, Gorlois, had given her in an attempt to stop her nightmares. To no avail. It once worked when he was alive but since he had died, his magic had dwindled. And it was precisely what he needed for Morgana to be found out. But he had to be careful how to get it away from her.

So, he waited until the couple had retreated to her bed.

Arthur wrapped his arms around Morgana, his blue eyes wide as he watched out for any intruder.

It was no problem for Merlin, though. He simply whispered a spell, dragging his hand down through the air as he saw Arthur's eyes growing dimmer and dimmer until he, too, fell asleep. Slowly, he crept into her chambers, tip-toeing over to Morgana's side. He grimaced down at her; he would not rest until he stopped her. His spindly hand reached down and carefully slipped the bracelet from her wrist, the metal of it dragging against her skin and stirring her but not fully waking her. A smirk made its way across his face as he turned and slipped out of the chambers as if he had never even been there.

* * *

"And you are certain it is the Lady Morgana's?" Alvain asked, his brow tightening. The young serving boy had asked for him to meet him in the dungeons beneath the castle; assuring him it would be worth his while.

"Indeed. I found it earlier in her chambers when I was cleaning them. It's magic, isn't it?" Merlin asked, his eyes widening with mock-innocence. The last thing he needed was for himself to accidentally be caught up in all of this mess.

"Yes, I'm afraid it is, dear boy," Alvain said even though a smile was making its way across his face. "You did the right thing to bring this to me. And I can assure you, you'll be rewarded."

Dread pulled at Merlin's heart as he shook his head. "No, no. I seek no reward. I just don't want my master to be harmed. Please, don't tell anyone this was me. I fear what she may do to me." Ever the actor, he made his voice tremble and Alvain softened.

"Of course, Merlin. It'll remain anonymous."

"Thank you, my lord," Merlin said, a smile lighting his face as he bowed and hastily retreated; his innocent smile merging into a smirk. His job was done. And the Dragon would be proud of him.

* * *

Arthur let out a sleepy grumble as he stretched out his muscles, hands reaching above his head. He smacked his lips sleepily before he turned to see a sight that immediately brought a smile to his face. Morgana was sleeping soundly beside him, her hand curled on his chest as her head rested on his shoulder. He leant down to press his lips to her forehead as he tightened his arms around her, illiciting a small mumble from her and yet she did not wake. It was rare to see her like this; so peaceful, so calm. As if nothing could touch her. Especially after the previous days, it was a shock to see. All the same, he would not be the one to ruin it.

However, it seemed that someone else wished to as there was a light knock on the door. He tightened his arms even more, eyes alert before he relaxed when he heard Gwen's quiet voice. Slowly, he disentangled himself from Morgana's embrace before padding his way to the door.

He opened it, greeting Guinevere by pressing a finger to his lips. "Morgana's asleep..." he whispered, closing the door as quietly as possible. "What is it, Guinevere?"

Gwen couldn't hide the smile on her face as she saw the sleep-tousled hair on the Prince's head that indicated that he had clearly stayed the night in her chambers. "Ahem," she cleared her throat, lowering her gaze. "I came looking for you, actually, my lord. The witchfinder wishes for you to meet him in the castle gardens. He says he has something to show you." Her face had faltered slightly, a frown making its way onto her features but he simply nodded.

"Very well," he said, peeking through the door back at Morgana's sleeping form. "Stay with her?"

Gwen smiled kindly up at him. "Always, my lord."

He smiled back at her, giving her shoulders a small squeeze before making his way down to the gardens, his hands raising to his blonde hair to sort it out.

* * *

As the witchfinder came into view, the previous joviality of the morning soon slipped away as he stepped towards him. "You asked to see me," he stated firmly.

"Ah, young Arthur Pendragon. Good morning," Alvain said, smiling coldly at him as he gestured for him to take a seat on the fountain. "Please, sit."

"There's no need, I'll not be staying long," Arthur retorted sharply.

"Oh, I believe I'll be judge of that," Alvain said, all manner of respect cast aside as he studied the Prince's expression. "How is the Lady Morgana feeling this morning?"

Arthur's teeth ground against each other before he snapped, "Do not waste my time. What is it you want?"

Alvain raised his eyebrows, pulling his lip into his mouth with a small smirk. "Your temper could rival your father's, young prince. But you are right; this is not the time for idle chitchat. Not when there is a sorcerer wreaking havoc across the kingdom. But you needn't fear; I've found the culprit."

Arthur's eyes widened and he took a step forwards. "You've-...you've found the sorcerer?"

Alvain nodded, hands moving to his pockets.

"Well? Who is it?" Arthur demanded, his words slipping through his teeth in a hiss.

"The Lady Morgana," he replied arrogantly, raising his chin and biting back a chuckle as he saw the look in the future King's eyes.

"You're-...you're mistaken," Arthur stuttered, his heart hammering inside of his chest. "Morgana is no sorceress. What evidence could you _**possibly**_ have to make you believe _**that**_?"

But his question was answered all too quickly as Alvain lifted his hand to reveal Morgana's healing bracelet inside of his palm. Alvain restrained himself from chuckling as he saw the look on his face. "Yes, indeed. A healing bracelet. An enchanted one, at that. An anonymous source gave this to me; said they knew that it was the Lady Morgana's. Apparently, she's had it her whole life. Right under the King's nose."

"Who gave you this?" Arthur demanded, his voice shaking slightly no matter how hard he tried to stop it.

"Ah, now they wouldn't be an anonymous source if I told you, would they?" Alvain chuckled.

"I am your prince," Arthur hissed, fists clenching at his side.

"And you'll do nothing to me if Morgana is in danger, now, will you?" Alvain asked, his voice cold and as firm as Arthur's.

It took all of his self restraint to not strike the witchfinder down where he stood but Arthur simply took in a deep breath. "What do you want?" he whispered.

"Want?" Alvain repeated, laughing to himself. "No, dear boy, I wish for nothing. My trade is in finding witches. And find her, I shall." He turned from Arthur with a small smirk but was soon pulled back as Arthur gripped him by the scruff of his neck, pulling him straight up to his face. Before he could threaten him, Alvain raised a finger. "Ah, I would not do that. I've sent word to my men and your father as to the fact that I am to meet with you. If I am harmed, they'll know it was you. And dear Uther will find out the truth about his sweet ward anyway."

Arthur took in a few breaths through gritted teeth in an attempt to calm himself but to no avail before he released the witchfinder. "If anything happens to her, I'll make you suffer for it," he said but Alvain merely shrugged as he walked away, leaving the Prince to stew in his own temper. He let out a growl of frustration as his fist hammered against the fountain, bloodying it immediately.

* * *

Soon enough, a court meeting was called and Alvain was standing at the front of the hall, his arms extended with Morgana's bracelet dangling from one of his fingers. "This bracelet has been the cause of the plagues that have been riddling your kingdom," he declared, his voice bouncing off of the walls. "And it belongs to-"

"It's mine!" Arthur shouted, standing from his chair in a movement so quick that it fell back, clattering loudly and echoing throughout the hall.

Everyone turned to face the young prince before Uther burst into laughter. "Arthur, it is jewellery. I hardly think it is-"

"I bought it for Morgana from a-...from a sorcerer, sire. I wanted-...I wanted to help her with her nightmares and that was the only way I could think to do so..." he trailed off, biting his lip as he looked anywhere but his father's piercing eyes. He noted Alvain's smirk but he could care less; all he cared about was the disappointment that soon riddled the old King's expression as he stepped towards his son.

He took his wrist in his hand, a frown crossing his scarred forehead. "Tell me it's not true..." he begged quietly.

Arthur remained firm, jaw set. "It's true, Father."

Uther let out a ragged sigh, releasing his son as he pressed his fingers against his forehead.

"My lord, you know what the punishment is for sorcery," Alvain insisted, stepping forward but he was brushed aside by the King.

"He shall be whipped for his impudence but I'll be damned if I sentence my own son to death," he snapped, pointing a finger in Alvain's face. "Take care what you suggest, old friend. My son-..._**always**_ comes first." And with that, the King gestured for the guards to take him away before he stormed from the throne room.

* * *

Merlin sat with a cocky grin on his face as he toyed with the food in his bowl, arrogantly scooping it up into his mouth. This plan went better than he could have dreamed. The sickening love between the two of them played out just as he imagined; but he knew that it was not the end. Morgana would learn of what had happened to Arthur and knowing the witch's quick temper, she would reveal herself. For he knew as well as she that she would never let anything happen to Arthur. Not because of her.

Soon enough, his thoughts were confirmed as Morgana came storming into his chambers, her eyes wide and rabid; hair entirely messed up.

"Morgana, you're looking well," Merlin said, hiding a smirk as he turned to greet her. "I take it you've heard what happened." He forced his expression to soften as his brow furrowed and he reached out a comforting hand for Morgana to take; which she did in a rapid motion.

"You cannot let him take the blame for this, Merlin. You must help me."

"What more can we do, Morgana? He admitted it to the court," Merlin implored, raising his eyebrows as his heart pumped with excitement. She was all too predictable.

She nibbled on her lip for a moment before nodding as if she had silently concluded something within her thoughts. "I'll tell everyone. I'll reveal myself. That way, he won't be harmed."

Merlin widened his eyes in mock-shock. "But, Morgana-...Uther was only lenient to Arthur, he may not do the same to you."

"I don't care. If it means I'll die then so be it. I'll not let him get hurt for me, Merlin," she said determinedly and when he looked as if he was going to protest, she held out a hand. "I've made my mind up. I'll go speak with Arthur and then I'll-...I'll tell Uther." Her voice shook slightly but she fought to keep it stable as she looked at him. "It's the only way, Merlin."

'Reluctantly', he gave her hand a squeeze and stepped back. "Who am I to stand in the way of love?" he asked, making Morgana smile softly as she stepped forward and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Merlin. You are a good and loyal friend."

For a moment, Merlin's hard exterior faltered but he simply smiled; something pushing back the coldness that had taken over his heart.

* * *

Twiddling her pale fingers nervously, Morgana made her way down to the dungeon where they were holding Arthur when something made her stop. She could hear a distant voice; one that she recognised all-too-well and then an unfamiliar one. That of the executioner and someone else. She slowly stepped towards the door, pressing her ear to it.

"This is treason, m'lord, I think I'll need more than a few coins," the executioner mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Alvain rolled his eyes, flicking a few more coins into his hand. "Make it look good. I swear that you'll not be punished for this. I'll protect you as will my men." A cruel smirk crossed over his features. "The old fool will not see it coming. He'll be so distraught with the loss of his son that Camelot will be easily taken. My master will surely be happy."

Morgana's chest felt constricted as he spoke; he planned to kill Arthur. She could not let that happen but she knew that she was at a loss. If she was to reveal herself to be a sorceress, she would be killed only to leave Alvain with Arthur to find some other way to kill him. Eyes wide and breath escaping her chest raspily, she ran from the door back up to her chambers where she knew Gwen would be waiting for her. She had to think about the best thing to do and she knew that Gwen would be able to help her see sense.

* * *

The morning of Arthur's public whipping came and Morgana had not slept a wink. She was looking out of the window, arms folded over her chest as she saw the platform be built up for the proceedings. It made her feel sick that Uther would allow this to happen to his _**child**_ but she could not think about that right now. She was focussed on saving him from being killed.

Her thoughts were broken, however, as Merlin came crashing in through her chambers.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, far sharper than someone of his position should have been talking to a lady of Camelot. "I thought you were going to-"

"Plans change, Merlin," Morgana snapped as she strolled past him, pulling on her cloak. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to tend to the King." She stormed past him, hands fisted at her side in determination as she made her way to the viewing balcony to accompany Uther.

She slowed her pace, however, as she realised that she was supposed to have been recovering from some sort of violent illness. "Morgana," Uther greeted warmly, taking her hand as she stepped out into the open air. "It's wonderful to see you out and about once more. May I introduce Alvair?" he asked, turning to reveal the witchfinder.

Morgana's jaw tightened and she scrunched up her nose in that fashion that she only did when she was angered. All the same, she offered him a polite smile. "My lord. It's a pleasure to meet you. I only wish it were under different circumstances," she said, quirking her brow as she gave a small bow of her head.

"Well, we cannot control everything. And it seems we certainly cannot control a young prince. Although I'm certain that will change soon enough..." he trailed off with a smirk, wiping it away as he caught the look Uther was giving him.

"Bite your tongue, old friend. He is still your prince no matter how stupid he may have been," Uther snapped as Morgana smirked over at the witchfinder. He would get his justice soon enough.

They were all distracted, however, as the doors beneath them opened and Arthur was dragged out by the guards. The sight sent a quiver of fear running through Morgana but she had to remain strong. She raised her chin in an attempt to fight back the tears that were dangerously making their way to the surface as she watched him be dragged up the steps.

The executioner ripped open the back of Arthur's tunic, wrapping the whip around his wrist in preparation as he looked up at the King.

"For the crime of meddling with sorcerers, I sentence you to twenty three lashings. One for every year of your life to knock some sense into you," Uther called, nodding his head in confirmation.

However, before the executioner could bring down the whip, Morgana's eyes glinted golden and she whispered a spell. The magic caused the whip to wrap around the executioner's leg, pulling him to the floor and dragging him down the steps; knocking him unconscious. If it was in another situation, Morgana would have laughed at the comical look of such a burly man rendered so useless. But she was quickly dragged from her thoughts as she heard Uther's chair scrape back, a hand resting on the stone.

"Sorcery..." he gasped, gesturing for his guards to go and find the culprit but Morgana interrupted.

"It was Alvair, my lord!" she cried, her eyes widened with fear as Alvair looked down on her in dismay. "I heard him incant the spell. It was him! He's a sorcerer!"

"My lord, please-"

"Silence! Arrest him!" Uther shouted; he trusted Morgana with everything that he was. So if she said that the witchfinder was a sorcerer then he believed her.

Morgana looked down at Arthur who was looking up at the balcony in wonder before she winked at him, only to be met back with a grin. The couple always could communicate without words and that was precisely what they had just done.

However, it was wasted as Alvair had noticed it. He growled lowly, "It was you!" before he grasped her upper arms and pulled her to his chest, whipping a dagger from his belt and holding it to her neck.

"Morgana!" Arthur shouted from the courtyard as she gasped in the shock of it, the cool metal pressing against her skin.

"Camelot will fall, mark my words!" Alvair shouted, declaring it to the entire kingdom. "And it begins with her blood!" He re-directed his attention to Morgana as he moved to cut her throat but then he noticed-...something remarkable. Her eyes were glowing golden and then he felt all control over his hand become useless.

"Go to hell," she hissed before she raised her foot only to bring the heel down on his foot, causing him to stumble enough for her to push him down off of the balcony.

The crowd gasped and screamed in horror at the bloodied pile on the floor but Uther could care less as with a breathed 'Morgana...', he held his ward tightly in his arms; grateful that she was still there for him to do so.

* * *

That evening, after everything had been cleared up (as well as Arthur's name), Morgana sat in her chambers, brushing her ebony locks as she let out a sigh of relief. For once, everything had gone to plan. For once, she and Arthur could sleep in peace. She smiled softly at the thought of her saving him for once before she was pulled from her thoughts when she heard a light knock at her door. "Come in," she called softly, turning her attention back to her vanity.

When she saw Arthur's reflection in the mirror, however, she pulled back and stood from the seat. "Arthur!" she breathed excitedly before with a relieved laugh, she ran into his arms.

Eagerly, his strong arms wrapped around her form, burying his face in her neck. He breathed in her scent - lavender - as he, too, let out a laugh. He pulled back after a few moments, brushing some hair from her face. "Thank you," he said sincerely, the same hand cupping her cheek. "You saved me."

Morgana smiled up at him, hands still resting on his waist. Remembering the familiar quote, she said, "It's not everyday a girl gets to save her prince."

Normally, he would have retorted but he simply held her closer. He wasn't sure whether it was simply the thrill of being alive that confirmed what he had been feeling for so long or whether it was the way her eyes danced in the candlelight but for once-...the Prince was stunned to silence. "Not it's not..." he whispered, his blue eyes locking her emerald ones as slowly, he craned his head down towards her. After what felt like centuries, he pressed his lips to hers delicately, relishing in the soft feeling of them as slowly, she began to kiss him back. It was gentle, carressing, soothing. It was Morgana.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, her eyes closed in a moment of pure bliss as she held her Champion.

After a few moments, he pulled back and looked her in the eyes once more, a glimmer of a smile playing on his lips. No more words needed to be said other than. "Goodnight, Morgana." As he whispered, he bowed and pressed his lips to her pale fingers before offering her a wink as he strolled from her chambers.

And for once, Morgana could not have been more excited to go to sleep. For sleep would bring dreams of Arthur.


End file.
